Star Wars: The Old Republic: Fear and Avarice
by dominicgrim
Summary: The journey of the young Sith, Avaryss continues. Her trials and triumphs as she makes her way in the Empire, and the galaxy beyond. Mostly OC characters, but some in game cameos. I do not own star wars. Rated teen for violence, some language, and adult situations.
1. Dromund Kaas

A/N: If you haven't read _Star Wars: The Old Republic: A New Sith._ You might wish to before starting this story. The journey of my little Sith began there. I of course do not own Star Wars or any of its properties, I just play here.

**Star Wars: The Old Republic: Fear and Avarice**

**It is a time of trouble for the Sith Empire.**

**A recent stream of brazen power plays among the Sith Lords has set the Empire on a course towards ruin. As the Emperor remains silent, the lords of the Empire seek to insure their own futures, even as the Empire is torn apart by in fighting.**

**Among these disciples of the dark side is Avaryss, the Sith Apprentice of Darth Feer; Master of the Itae system. As the Empire reels around her, the young Sith seeks to adapt to her new life among the lords.**

**It is a life that will soon take her far from Dromund Kaas, and out in the galaxy. It is** **a life that will either offer her a future of unlimited power, or to be cast down and forgotten.**

**It is here that our story begins…**

**Chapter 1: Dromund Kaas**

Once again, a storm was building.

Dromund Kaas, capital of the Empire, and refuge of the Sith, was a world of many storms. Much like the lords themselves, the world remained hostile its inhabitants resisting any attempt to truly tame it. The dangers of the jungle world were many, and only through the strength of the Sith Emperor had those few citizens and lords of the Empire to survive the great holocaust of over a millennia ago, endured.

The world remained dangerous, but now it was dotted not only by cities, but estates of powerful Sith Lords. These masters were the ones that had made the Empire the threat that it was today. The Emperor may have gone into seclusion, but through the dark council and the power of the dark side, the Empire that he had saved endured, and as it endured new generations of Sith rose, ready to take the place of those that came before, sometimes…violently.

One such of this generation was Avaryss, apprentice to the Lord Darth Feer.

For the moment though, she felt only exhaustion. What she desired most at the moment was not power, but rest.

The thunder rolled outside as she slipped into the small meditation chamber in her quarters. The young Sith had only just returned to her apartment after another day of running around the capital in service to her master.

The master has many fools he needed collared, she thought, tedious work perhaps but necessary.

She had left no stone unturned, all had learned of her master's orders, or his displeasure. A few had not lived to endure that displeasure, a lightsaber was such a harsh teacher.

She had enjoyed offering up those lessons, those final lessons.

If done correctly, even the most tedious of acts could be fun.

The young woman stretched and rolled her shoulders. A cool shower had served well after enduring the heat of another Dromund Kaas summer day. The cold water brought about gooseflesh on her arms as she stepped out into her chambers. For the moment at least, she was free of sweating in the wretched heat, a heat that barely went away even in the darkest hour of the night. As she had moved about Kaas city today, she found herself looking with pity on the Sith soldiers who remained fully armored as they carried out their duties. She had heard that their armor _**did**_ have some temperature control, but doubted it could do much against the jungle heat and humidity.

She smiled slightly at the thought.

_My pity is wasted on them, _she knew_, they are nothing compared to those of us that serve the power of the dark side…_

She had hoped that it would fade with time, that the stubborn light would go out. Yet that sense of compassion was still there.

The realization made her frown.

For a Sith passion was power, _compassion_ was something else entirely.

It was…troubling.

_The simple fact that I can still __**feel**__ pity is troubling; it is a weakness that must be expunged. I'm going to have to work on this_

During her evening mediations, she would endeavor to do just that. Before anyone realized what was going on with her, before they realized something was wrong.

This was not the first time she recognized the flaw in her armor. Since truly embracing the dark side on the planet Korriban she had worked hard and long to eliminate the small shard of light that still burned brightly within her. It had almost no sway over her actions, but at the same time, she recognized it for what it was.

It is a weakness, she knew, one that an enemy might exploit one day.

It is imperative that it is either minimized or destroyed utterly.

There could be no compromise in that.

The darkness had to be all.

She kneeled down on the rough mat of her meditation chamber, the course fabric skinning her bare knees. She could have put on a robe, but for the moment she chose to enjoy the simple pleasure of the cool surface on her bare skin. The black mid drift shirt and briefs she wore left little to the imagination, but that was not a problem, not here in her own quarters.

Here, at least, she was free to do as she pleased, provided it did not interfere with her training or her master's work.

Here, in this room, she was free.

Her master commanded that she spend at least one hour every day at meditation, centering herself and focusing on the power of the dark side. As she closed her eyes and began to the breathing techniques necessary to find her center, she found her mind beginning to drift. Old pains and past wrongs tried to rise up, distract her from going where she needed to be.

She resisted the urge to let her mind wander, she centered it through the power of the Sith code, the words that had come to define her young life.

_Peace is a lie, there is only passion._

_Through passion, I gain strength._

_Through strength, I gain power._

_Through power, I gain victory, and through victory my chains are broken._

_The Force shall set me free!_

The words became a mantra; she repeated them over and over.

Strong words, words that were both to live by and kill by.

Avaryss had killed many times in their service.

As she found her center, the cold void that pulsed with the power of the dark side opened up to her. It was easy to find that place, the meditation chamber itself made it easy, not just the glyphs on the wall, but the rough and scratchy mat on which she kneeled, and the incense burning in the brazier on the wall, she **hated **the smell, as her master well knew, so he made sure that it was the only thing that was burned here. Discomfort turned to anger and hate so easily. It was the simplest path to the dark side. She was drawn deeper into it, exposed to mysteries and powers she could not entirely comprehend. Visions of the past danced before her closed eyes as future possibilities rose and fell like the tides of some dark unforgiving ocean.

Avaryss smiled.

She welcomed these moments.

They were one of the few times she felt truly alive.

Once again she tried to reach out to her lost love. It had become and obsession of hers, he had been taken from her in a most cowardly fashion. On Korriban, she had sensed his presence, it had been drawn to her, now…she thought to find it again, and only through the deepest heart of the darkness, might that be truly possible.

She reached out and again…found nothing. She felt nothing.

That discovery or lack thereof, annoyed her.

She had once thought the dark side was _**limitless!**_ That she could do _anything _with its power. Lately it did not seem that way.

Lately, the power she sought did not meet her expectations.

This experience should be more than what it is; she thought to herself, it should have been _**better!**_ It should have been a triumph, but now…all it did was remind her of her failure. It reminded her of what she had lost, and how she had been manipulated.

She hated herself for allowing that.

Once she had dreamed of being a Sith Apprentice, travelling the Empire and fighting in her master's name. She had had such grand plans. She had wanted to see the galaxy, and in doing so, begin construction of her _**own**_ power base, to gather allies both great and small, and through those alliance prepare herself for her own ascension to lordship, and from there…rise to the title of Darth.

_That will never happen_, she thought, _not at this rate…_

She frowned.

…**Not** with **this** master.

When she had first come to the dark side, the death of Darth Feer was all that mattered to her. The man had ordered the deaths of her family, and that mission, that…hatred of him had driven her to race down the dark path and become the Sith that she was today. He was the monster in the dark, the driving force behind her rage, and the one true stumbling block on her road to finding true power. That is how Avaryss had felt when she came to the dark side at the tender age of fifteen.

Now…two years later, she had come to realize just how naïve she had been.

Darth Feer was no monster, he was just another Force user who had managed to claw his way up the ranks and achieve the title of Darth. He was neither overly strong, nor physically intimidating. He was of average height, with graying curly blonde hair, and an arrogance that only a Lord of the Sith could wield without consequences. When you first looked at her master, you did not see what he was, the cunning that he possessed, and the cruel manipulations that he was capable of. Avaryss knew both this things.

She had learned them…the hard way.

He broke me, she thought.

It had taken almost a year to admit to herself, but finally she had.

He had manipulated her from the first day she had begun her Sith training. His agents had convinced her that her hatred was necessary to defeat him, while at the same time testing her, dropping enemies in her way to ensure she went down the path her lord needed. When she tried to deviate from that path, go off with someone she loved, she was punished severely, her lover ripped from her life and her arms.

The realization of that, what he had done to her, how easily he had manipulated her, it was too much to bear.

She broke, and accepted his offer to serve as his apprentice, and that is where she had spent the last six months, serving his needs and dealing with his enemies.

Though she did take some small pleasure in that work, she never forgave, and she never forgot. Her master hoped that she would let go of her hatred for him, and accept that everything that had happened was for her own good. That in time she would embrace him as a daughter might a loving yet stern father.

Her eyes narrowed.

In time he would learn how foolish those desires were.

I am Sith, she thought, with few exceptions, the relationship between master a pupil among the Sith is never a loving one. I respect my master's power, and if I'm being honest, am in awe of it, but I also seek to do everything that I can to surpass him. An Apprentice to a dark lord is **more** than just a servant, he or she is the rightful heir to their master's power, and that power is not given by a loving parent looking to pass on what they have and know to the future generation, it is ripped from the master's dying hand by his successor.

Power is never given…it must always be taken!

The thought of doing so sent a warm tingle down her spine. The vision of Feer lying dead at her feet always made her feel warm and fuzzy.

He wants me to be his heir, fine, but he should be ready for the consequences of that.

A Sith must arrange his or her own promotion.

In time, I will have mine.

The dark side responded to her hunger. After months of training she had finally come to accept what had happened, and was finally ready to move forward, she had picked up the pieces of her shattered confidence, put them back together, and was now determined to move forward. Feer had played with her during her time as a student, she could acknowledge that, but now it was time to turn the tables.

Now it was time to claim her rightful place in the Empire.

As she meditated, her body began to rise off the floor of the chamber. She floated several centimeters above the ground, her body wrapped in a warm red halo, as the dark side filled her up with its hungry, all-consuming power.

It was in that moment that she realized that she was not alone. She could sense someone had entered without her notice, someone who was practically radiating malice.

She only just held back a sigh.

_Not again!_

She lowered herself to the ground and waited. She could sense the intruder approaching. He did not burn with the Force, but did possess a rudimentary animal cunning and viciousness.

This was not the first time she had such an uninvited guest. Though she hoped it would be the last.

These little encounters were no longer diverting.

Mostly, they just served to piss her off.

She waited until the intruder was almost behind her. She sensed the hungry anticipation; his thoughts filled her mind, and all the horrible depraved things he would do to her once he had properly broken her.

She frowned.

Not in this life time, little man.

He reached for her, his hands large and callused, ready to seize her by the throat.

She caught him with the Force, held him in an invisible grip as strong as dura steel.

She smiled and looked over her shoulder.

"Shall we dance?" she asked sweetly.

He snarled and tried to lunge at her.

She brought her leg around and kicked him hard in the jaw, he staggered back…dazed.

Avaryss reached out with the Force towards her nightstand, her lightsaber sat there, still clipped to her belt.

It flew across the room and into her hand, she ignited the crimson blade, and it awoke with an evil hiss.

The intruder was armed with a vibro-ax a vicious weapon to be sure, she tried to cut through the handle with her lightsaber, but the weapon resisted her blade, it struck, sparked, and was pushed back. The handle of the ax, it seemed, was made of some cortosis weave alloy, strong enough to resist even a lightsaber.

She grinned excitedly.

_At least, this fight would be somewhat of a challenge._

The thug swung again, she dropped under his blow and tried to stab out with her weapon; he sidestepped and tried to catch her with a powerful reverse swing. She ducked under his blow again, though she almost lost her ponytail to the intruder's wicked strike.

The idea of it frustrated her, she had found few pleasures on Dromund Kaas, but one of them had been when she had been able to step out onto the street and be accepted as a true lady of the Sith.

Long hair was in season right now, it might have sounded petty, but had the man managed to cut her hair with that ax, he would have died screaming.

She sneered.

He would die anyway, but that did not mean that it had to be agonizing.

She was only needlessly sadistic when she needed to be. Most of the time, she kept that side of her in check.

The battle spilled back out into her apartment. Her duties as Lord Feer's apprentice kept her busy most days, so her room had little in it that could be damaged. The thug struck again and again, and each time, she managed to maneuver herself out of the way, avoiding his attacks.

Finally, the intruder made a mistake, and over extended. He missed an overhead chop and Avaryss managed to sidestep and kick him hard in the elbow, the force of the blow caused him to lose his grip on the weapon, and before he could recover it, she seized it with the Force, and tossed it out the window.

Now that he was unarmed the thug looked upon her with fear in his eyes; Avaryss drank that terror up, she used it to increase her own powers, her desire for revenge.

Looking around desperately, the man saw a weapon hanging in a place of honor on the wall, a Sith war blade that had seen many centuries of use for the good of the Empire.

He lunged for it, ready to use it to continue his attack.

He did not make it.

Avaryss, enraged by his audacity, blasted the man with Force lightning. The sword was hers after all, a gift from an old Sith she had come to both respect and fear.

She would be damned before his bladed ended up in the hands of some…some…ruffian.

She could have killed him with the lightning, ended the fight right then and there, but now she had a personal stake in seeing him suffer.

You try and steal from me, she thought, you suffer.

All would suffer!

She relented just enough for the man to drop to his knees. He sat there for a moment, too dazed to continue. He looked around, confused the lightning likely having disrupted every cell in his tiny brain.

Avaryss decided to deny him the chance to recover. She brought her lightsaber down point first on the top of the man's head. She reveled in the strike as she watched the man's eyes boil from the heat of the blade super heating the fluids in his brain.

The man was dead before his body likely even realized it, she withdrew her sword and watched as he fell twitching to the ground,

She stood over him for a moment, making sure that he was truly gone.

It was at that moment that the one responsible for this fight finally chose to reveal himself. He had masked his presence well, but in the end his excitement had finally gotten the better of him. She could sense the dark amusement the other intruder felt as he had watched the two duel.

She sighed heavily.

"You are not supposed to be here, young master," she said coldly, "Your mother has spoken of this, yes?"

The young boy stepped out of the shadows, dressed in fine silken robes; no one would ever doubt his noble status. The expression on his face was one of both superiority and cruelty. He had inherited many of the features of her master. They both had blonde hair, their noses were the same, and their chins were the same, the one thing that the two did not share was the eyes.

Bael Feer had his mother's eyes.

He smirked at his father's apprentice.

"My mother can say what she likes", the thirteen-year old said arrogantly, "I shall be master of this house one day…"

He eyed her with that cruel lecherous gaze of his. She could feel his beady little eyes crawling all over her body. It was all she could do to keep from throttling the brat.

"I may do as I like," he purred.

She held back a smile.

It will not be that simple you little fungus, she thought.

You may be his son, but _**I'm**_ his apprentice.

We will just see who inherits what.

Young Master Bael's sense of entitlement sickened her. She may have only been four years his senior, but at time she felt that that gap was much, much higher.

He is not even a hopeful yet, she thought, I don't care if his mother has trained him since he was five he would not last five minutes at a Sith Academy!

What has he done to be an heir to a dark lord? Nothing. Simply being born into a powerful family should not guarantee power. Power must be seized.

She would be damned before this little wretch stole her legacy.

She looked down at the slain intruder, she moved his foot with hers; already the body was starting to stiffen.

"Where did you find this one," she asked her master's son, "He showed some promise."

Bael giggled like the sadistic brat he was.

"He was just a slave gladiator; I offered him his freedom if he managed to kill you."

The boy cackled again.

He looked her up and down, and in that moment she regretted that she had not chosen to wear a robe while meditating. The young master may have been a little sadist, but he was also a thirteen year old boy, and like other such adolescents, he was growing interested in new things.

Such boys had…curiosities.

She was one such curiosity, or rather her body was.

Avaryss knew that she was not unattractive. Despite several scars, years of Sith training had left her body both muscular and toned. Age had also changed her; she had finally given up the last of the roundness of her youth, and grown into a slender yet curvy young woman. Her bone white skin and burning red eyes did not take away from her beauty, in fact, to most Sith, it only enhanced it, and they could sense the dark power burning within her.

She shook her head.

This was third time Bael had sent her something to kill, the first had been three young k'lor slugs left in her bed, not as big as the ones found in the wilds of Korriban, but still quite large. The second attempt involved a rogue Sith Acolyte that had been killing young girls here in the capital, she was not sure how the young master found the man, but he had, and given him access to her room.

She had taken her time with that one, flaying first his mind and then his body.

She had enjoyed that, and unfortunately, Bael had too.

Now…he would not leave her alone.

He had come to enjoy watching her kill, an enjoyment that only grew when she killed in a state of undress.

The first fight had occurred when she had been climbing into bed; she had leapt back when the slugs had risen up and snapped at her. The serial killer had come just as she had been coming out of the shower. She had been wearing just a towel at the time.

She sighed heavily.

The fight with the gladiator had left her sweaty; her shirt clung to her like a second skin. She could sense the young master's excitement as he stared at her. He could not totally hide the dark fantasies that ran through his limited mind. Most of these fantasies involved hurting her, making her beg him for mercy.

Her eyes narrowed.

Part of her was tempted to pluck out his eyes and give them to his mother.

Maybe that would stop these…nocturnal challenges!

Bael's interest in the opposite sex was growing, but like all things, the boy had chosen to combine those desires with his own love of death and violence.

Avaryss pitied the first girl Bael brought home.

Who knew what depravities he would seek to test her with?

To make things even more uncomfortable, the sounds of battle had drawn the attention of those downstairs, voices in the hall and the sound of booted feet. The door to her apartment opened, and four of her master's guards swarmed in, followed closely by the mistress of the house, Lord Feer's lady wife. Red of hair and green of eye, the lady radiated the power of the darkside, but that power was often muted by concern for her son, her darling boy.

Such concern was not fitting for a Sith, but Avaryss understood it.

A mother's love was a mother's love after all, no matter how depraved the progeny.

Lady Synestra Feer called out to her, but stopped when she saw Avaryss and Bael talking, seeing the apprentice in such a state of undress.

Her Lord's wife narrowed her eyes, through the Force Avaryss could sense both anger and suspicion.

"What are you doing with my son, girl?" she spat.

Avaryss rolled her eyes.

Several weeks back, her master had said, in passing, that perhaps he should consider wedding Avaryss to their son. He had meant it as a joke at the time, but the lady had not forgotten.

Synestra Feer _**hated **_Avaryss.

"I was attacked, my lady," Avaryss said bowing in submission, "Your son heard the fighting, and came running, it was all over by the time he arrived, but…"

She looked back and forth between the young woman and the boy.

"Is that true, my son," the mistress of the house asked.

"Of course, mother, "he lied, "Lady Avaryss is a member of our house after all."

He gave her his most sly smile.

"An attack against one of us is an attack against all, is that not true?"

Lady Feer continued to glare at Avaryss; the young apprentice could almost feel her mind working. Imagining her own dark scenario for what had happened.

Avaryss resisted the urge to sigh.

She thinks I'm trying to seduce the little wretch, Avaryss knew. As if she would ever soil herself with such an attempt. Since the death of her lover, a real man, back on Korriban, love and physical desire had had little interest for the Sith Apprentice.

Power is what drove her now, she needed little else.

Using the boy might have worked, in time she might have been able to wrap him around her little finger, but what she would have to do in the meantime did not appeal to her.

No, she would find her own path as she prepared to conqueror House Feer and make it her own.

There was a tense silence between the two Sith women. Avaryss feared that the woman would not buy her story; that they would come to blows.

Part of her welcomed it, she did not care that the lady was a full Sith, she had grown weary of her constant watching.

Things might have turned violent, but that is when she felt it, when they both felt it.

A disturbance in the Force saved them both.

Both she and the lord's wife looked out the window, Bael, who was still too green to sense it, looked at them both curiously.

"What is it, mother?" he asked.

Synestra frowned.

"Get dressed Avaryss, and report to the landing pad."

"Of course, my lady," she said bowing.

Synestra motioned for her son to follow her.

"We must prepare, my son," she said.

"Your Father is home."

Avaryss did not lower her guard until the lady and the young master had left.

She sighed, and made for the wardrobe on the far wall. She had hoped for an early evening tonight, but that had not happened.

She could sense it through the Force.

Darth Feer was coming, and…

She sighed again.

He had need of her.

Joy of joys, she thought.

More menial labor, she was so thrilled.

She shook her head.

Ah the joys of life of a Sith Apprentice.

Oh joy!


	2. The Task

**Chapter 2: The Task**

The storm finally hit as Avaryss began her vigil, clad in robes of midnight black, she stood upon the landing pad of the Feer estate, waiting for the arrival of her master.

Thunder rumbled, and the sky opened up, rain came down in heavy sheets, drenching both the landing pad, and the waiting apprentice. She stood unmoved, her crimson eyes gleaming out from beneath the rain soaked cowl. Water ran down her cheeks like tears she had never shed.

Lady Synestra and Bael had not joined her; they were waiting in the receiving room to greet the master of House Feer. Avaryss could have joined them, if not for the Force whispering in her ear.

"_You will wait for me here,"_ Darth Feer's voice rippled through her mind, "_What is a little rain to a Sith, it is nothing, a distraction."_

There was a brief pause, and then she felt her master's anger, held in check by his harsh will.

"_I will __**punish**__ you if you are not waiting on the pad when I arrive. Do not believe that I won't."_

"I believe, my lord," she murmured.

"_You are mine?"_

"I am."

"_Body and soul?"_

"Yes, my master," she murmured, "Body and soul."

The connection ended, she felt her master's pleasure at her submission, her loyalty.

She masked her anger well.

One day I will be stronger than you, dear master, she thought, and on that day, you will truly see how loyal I am.

You will see what a good Sith I am.

She awaited that day with baited breath, the day when she could finally stop pretending that her hatred for her master and his family did not exist.

On that day, she would burn this entire place down, and from the ashes build her own house.

The House of Avaryss would rise and take its place among the other great Sith clans.

She welcomed the coming of that day, but it was not yet here.

Not yet.

She heard the sound of engines over the pounding of the rain, soon lights appeared in the sky as a Sith shuttle began its approach towards the compound. The defense towers that shielded the estate locked on to the ship, only to be deactivated by the master's clearance codes. As the towers powered down, the shuttle began to fold its wings and begin the final approach to the landing pad.

Avaryss dropped to one knee, she bowed her head in reverence, ignoring the cold rain that was soaking her, her cloak no longer offered protection; the rain had soaked her, through and through. Her robes, even her underclothes were soaked.

Yet…she remained silent, waiting for her master, and his word. What did her discomfort matter when she was asked to pay homage to the man who offered her true power?

What was a little water to a Sith? It was nothing?

She remained where she was as the shuttle touched down before her. She listened as the hydraulics hissed and the ramp lowered. Through the Force she could sense her master inside, sense his curiosity.

She remained silent, volunteering nothing with her emotions.

She was a blank slate, waiting for his orders to fill her.

Such was the way of the master and the apprentice.

Such was the way of the Sith.

She heard the footsteps coming down the ramp, she kept her head bowed, seeing only his boots as he stood before her.

She did not rise, not yet.

It was up to him to give her that permission.

"Come to me my darling wife," he called out, "Embrace your loving husband. Come to me my son, let your father know that you have missed him."

Avaryss heard nothing and said nothing. Clearly Lord Feer could see that they were not here. That only she, his loyal apprentice, had come out into the rain to welcome him.

She heard her master sigh. Clearly he was unhappy with the greeting that awaited his homecoming.

He walked past her without a word. Yet, still, she remained where she was. She could sense his annoyance at his family; she had no desire to become their scapegoat.

In the first six months of their relationship, he had only needed to punish her once; it was not an experience that she was eager to repeat.

She still had nightmares about it. Being trapped in her own mind, unable to move, subjected to the most horrific nightmares that she had ever endured.

He will not need to do that again, she thought.

_I am a loyal apprentice. I will kneel here all night if that is what he wishes._

_I am __**his**__…for now._

It sickened her to grovel like this, but it was all part of the game. For now, she was the good little servant, the loyal soldier.

That would not be the case forever.

At last he seemed to remember her presence, he paused and looked back.

"Arise, my child," he called out, "Arise and follow, we have things to discuss."

She did as she was bid; she stood and followed behind him, though she did not remain behind him for long. He slowed just enough for her to catch up, and moved so that they may walk side by side.

"I prefer you where I can keep an eye on you," he murmured, "To let someone walk behind you is to invite a knife in your back."

Avaryss chuckled.

"Would I do something like that, my lord?" she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm, even as she batted her eyes innocently.

"If it was in your best interest," he said, "Sure."

She gave him a sly smile.

"You are wise to recognize that," she said.

"I am **your** master," he reminded her.

"That you are, my lord," she replied.

For now.

IOI

She stood patiently while he inspected his family, and the rest of the household that had awaited his arrival in the receiving room. She watched the exchange between her master and the rest of his servants carefully, looking for weaknesses, trying to see, to recognize, who was truly loyal, or just appeared to be.

Her teeth chattered from the cold and wet, despite her cloak, the rain had soaked her through to the bone, but she dared not ask to go change, not without her master's leave, and certainly not when he was addressing the rest of his power base.

It was all part of the game, it was all about dominance, and for the moment Darth Feer held all the power. He was stronger than her, wiser than her, and knew things about the dark side that she did not.

Those three facts would need to change before she could make her move. She needed not only power, but also information.

Moments such as these were excellent teachers.

No one could pull off a coup alone. She would need allies when that glorious day came. It did not hurt to start looking, even at so early a stage.

She suspected that she was not the only one here who desired Darth Feer's end, and many of these had skills or access that she would need on that fateful day.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING, GIRL!

Avaryss glanced over; Lady Synestra was looking at her with wide angry eyes.

She tilted her head curiously.

_What have I done now?_

She is awaiting my orders," Darth Feer replied for her, "Avaryss is right where she is supposed to be."

"She is dripping all over the Alderannian rugs," his lady wife complained, "They were spoils of war, and irreplaceable!"

She glared at her husband's apprentice.

"Were you raised in a barn, girl?"

"Perhaps she **was,** mother," Bael laughed, "She is from a farm world after all."

Avaryss cheeks burned, her fingers curled into angry fists.

They knew nothing of life she had lived before.

They knew **nothing!**

Her master, no doubt sensing her anger, finally took pity on her.

"Return to your apartment and dry yourself off, Apprentice. Then meet me in the communication room. I have a task for you."

"Yes, my master," she said bowing.

As she turned away, she heard him address both his lady wife and his son.

His statement brought a hint of a smile to her face.

"Now **that** is how an apprentice is supposed to act. Avaryss may not have been born into the order, but at least she knows her place.

There was a brief pause.

"Unlike others I know."

She resisted the urge to laugh.

That last statement was clearly directed at his son. Bael's mother had been training him in the dark side since he was five. Yet, Darth Feer remained unhappy with his progress, and rightly so. He seemed to believe that he would just be handed his father's estate one day. Such thinking on the boy's part was part of the reason that she was here.

Her smile grew.

She would never be friendly with Lady Feer, she knew that. When she had first arrived, Lady Synestra had called her "a stray," that and "the Bumpkin from nowhere." Clearly the lady did not see her as being worthy of being a member of House Feer.

She is just jealous, the dark side whispered in her ear. Since you have come here, it has been you that the master has brought to official functions. No doubt there are many here in the capital who thinks that you are more than just Lord Feer's apprentice."

That last thought made her a little nauseous.

So what If people thought that she was Feer's paramour, the thought might have disgusted her, but it also served to keep her enemies off balance. If they did not see her as a true apprentice it might give her an edge at a crucial time.

Such an edge could be as precious as kyber crystals.

Of course, those rumors also deepened the dislike between herself and her master's wife. So far, Lord Feer had kept the lady in check, but if and when she made her move…?

My master's problems are not my own, especially where his family was concerned. In fact any problem between the Feers worked to her advantage.

She smiled.

_Let them snipe at each other, it will only make it easier when the day comes that I rise up and replace my lord as head of this house._ For the moment she had few allies here, little power of her own. One or two of the staff looked upon her fondly, but that would not be enough.

She needed to expand her powerbase. The last few months had given her little chance to do that. Running errands here on Dromund Kaas did nothing to help gather followers.

Perhaps this mission would serve as a spring board, perhaps; at last, she would be able to start building.

_One thing at a time_, she thought.

_First, gather, then consolidate, and then the fun begins…_

…_obliteration._

IOI

After a quick change in her room, Avaryss made her way down to the communication room, and her master's side.

She arrived to find him in holo-communication with another Sith Lord.

She paused, staying out of the broadcast field.

She did not wish the other lord to see her.

The Sith that her master was speaking was a huge man, broad of shoulder and thick of chest; massive shoulder plates expanded his girth even more. The dark lord's face was covered by a masked helmet that left little of his expression visible. Despite this, she could feel the hate and dislike radiating off him, even at such a distance.

Lord Feer did not acknowledge her presence; his attention was directed entirely at his fellow lord.

A fellow lord that was clearly not happy.

"I'm **not **plotting against you Baras," Lord Feer said shaking his head, "This call was a courtesy on my part, I had hoped you would understand that."

The Sith Lord, Darth Baras, chuckled, but there was little amusement in his laugh.

"I know what you intended, Feer," he replied, "I know of your feud with Lord Terrog, and I know that you hoped to use me, to strike at him from a direction that he would not see coming."

Lord Baras shook his head.

"Your ambitions will get the better of you one day."

If her master took the rebuke as an insult he did not show, he continued to smile pleasantly.

"I would **never** perceive to try and manipulate you Baras, I know how…well _informed_ you are. I was simply offering what I had heard of Lord Terrog, how you choose to use that information is entirely up to you, but I would advise caution.

Lord Feer leaned closer, like he did not wish to be heard.

These are exciting times in the Empire. A wise man knows how to use such times to his advantage. Wise men such as you and I must be ready to do what is needed when the time comes; am I right?"

The large dark lord sighed.

"I will consider what you have said, and my agents will investigate this information of yours. We will see if it proves valuable, or not."

"A wise decision," Feer responded grinning, "You will not regret this, Baras."

"We will see," the man responded as the transmission faded out.

Avaryss waited, she stood back and waited until her master summoned her forward.

Darth Feer cackled excitedly.

"Another log on Terrog's funeral pyre…," he murmured.

"…Another step towards victory."

He turned to her a triumphant grin on his face.

"I swear, that man's shoulders have their own gravitational pull, I'm surprise that all of Dromund Kaas is not rotating around them.

She smirked, only just suppressing a giggle.

Immediately, he regretted hearing her master's words. If she should ever meet the dark lord in person, she did not want to be giggling like some foolish little girl. Darth Baras did not strike her as the type who accepted such foolishness gladly.

She would need to maintain her composure, should they ever meet, and considering that her master had chosen to involve him in…whatever it was he was planning she just might someday.

She would need to remember to be respectful, when that day finally came.

She would not throw away her life on something as foolish as some overheard comment.

"And so begins the long fall of Darth Terrog," her master said, "Baras should prove to be a most interesting pawn, and the best part is, I did not even have to lie to gain the man's support, merely out old Terrog."

Feer laughed at the mere thought of it.

"Terrog should have known to leave well enough alone. Baras is not the type of man to be trifled with."

"Yet, we are doing just that," Avaryss said with a slight frown, "Is that truly wise, my master?"

"As I said, it is not like I lied to Baras, what he was told; everything that I learned was the truth. Baras likely already suspected what I just told him, but now he has the evidence he needs to act, and in doing so, he will draw the attention of Darth Terrog away from a certain world, and a certain item waiting on that world."

Feer's eyes practically radiated with childlike glee.

"That distraction is where you come in, my dear. It is time to take your first step into a larger world. It is time to truly serve me."

She dropped to one knee.

"I am ready, my master," she said, "Command me."

At that moment, the door to the communication room opened, admitting a very old Sith Pureblood. His crimson skin may have dulled, the tendrils on his chin may have thinned, but the eyes of the old Sith remained as strong and pitiless as they had almost two centuries ago. Though age had left his body slender, the ease with which he moved did not suggest weakness. His dark hair had gone gray long ago in the service of House Feer, yet none would doubt that he had served both ably and well. Once he had served her master's father, had been a close friend of his long before any oath of loyalty had been uttered.

Now the old man advised her master in his endeavors, his wisdom was welcome above all others, and he was one of the few people in House Feer that Avaryss had come to respect.

Her master nodded respectfully at the new arrival.

"Feore, my old friend," he purred, "I trust that you have good news for me?"

Feore Monn, War master of House Feer nodded.

"I do my lord," he said bowing his head in bot respect and submission; he then glanced over at the kneeling Avaryss.

"Apprentice," he said respectfully.

"War master," she replied.

Feore grinned as he returned his attention to her master, **their** master.

"Your information has paid off, my lord," he said, "We have identified the location of the safe house, and confirmed the package is there."

"Excellent, my friend," Feer cackled, "Excellent!"

He turned to his young apprentice.

"Pack your sunscreen, my child, you will need it on Tatooine."

Avaryss' brow furrowed.

"Tat...oween? I've never heard of this place, master, is it in the Empire?"

"Tatooine is in contested space," Feore informed her, "both the Empire and the Republic maintain a presence there. It is a desert world, some indigenous tribes and scavengers. A harsh environment breeds harsh people."

"It is also far enough from the Republic that it escapes the notice of most, but close enough that they can smuggle items of value into the Republic if needed," Feer said.

"It is the perfect place for a safe house. It is the perfect place to hide something valuable in plain sight."

The apprentice's brow furrowed.

"We are going after the Republic?"

Feer nodded.

"I thought this was about Darth Terrog? Is he working with the Republic? Is he a traitor?"

"He is an opportunist child," Feore said, "That is not the same as being a traitor."

"Terrog has no interest in the Republic," Feer added, "What he does have is a network of spies who have discovered something interesting. We are not sure what just yet, but he has spread around a lot of credits in the last few weeks. According to my sources, he believes that he has discovered some involvement between the Republic and the death of several key Imperial officers, these officers may, or may not, have been pawns of Lord Baras."

Avaryss nodded, understanding dawning.

"I'm guessing that Lord Baras suspected Lord Terrog in these deaths?"

"He was one of several suspects," Feore offered.

"Regardless of who was responsible, the Republic is holding a certain package on Tatooine. A package that might reveal much about the deaths of those Imperial officers," Feer said smiling eagerly.

"I've paid well to ensure that Terrog does not find this package first, but it is only a matter of time until he does discover the location. We must act before then…which is where you come in, my child."

"We must proceed cautiously, but quickly," Feore said, "with so many active feuds between the lords, it is imperative that we get this item first. Whatever is in this package, it could be a time bomb. Whichever lord gains it first will have a great advantage over his or her rivals."

"Which is why it must be mine," Feer said with a hungry look in his yellow eyes.

He pinned her with his cold gaze.

"You will go to Tatooine my Apprentice, you will infiltrate this safe house, destroy it, and bring me the package, unharmed and undamaged."

Avaryss nodded, the mission sounded simple enough, but there was a problem.

"Won't the Pubs consider this a violation of treaty? A Sith attacking one of their safe houses could be considered an act of war? If we do this without the Dark Council or the Emperor's approval…"

"That is where the caution comes in child," Feore said.

"Plus, as far as the Republic is concerned, this place does not exist."

Lord Feer chuckled.

"If they were to acknowledge its existence, many people would have a lot of explaining to do. That fact will work in our advantage."

She nodded.

_That was the problem with democracy. Too many people had a say, and some of them did not understand the value of keeping things secret._

_It had worked well for the Empire in the past._

Sounds good, she thought, it **could **work.

"I assume that once we have this package, we will have leverage over Lord Terrog, or whoever else might have been involved in the deaths you mentioned?"

Her master nodded.

"It is one option we could take once we have what we seek. It is also imperative that no one knows that we have the package. Leave no witnesses, show no mercy."

Avaryss' heart beat quickened.

No witnesses.

No mercy.

She liked the sound of that!

Finally, she thought, I've been craving a little action.

This mission is exactly what I've been waiting for.

"I will need a ship," she said, "Once I do this I will need to escape quickly."

"You will have one, but only for the escape portion of your mission," Feore said.

She frowned at the old Sith.

"How am I supposed to get to Tatooine then?"

"You will not use registered transport," the war master said, "You will travel as a refugee, once you have reached Tatooine our agents there will point you towards your objective. As soon as you have completed the mission, you will activate a retrieval beacon, and a ship will be there in moments to pick you up."

"Many eyes are watching us, my child," Feer warned her, "The political situation in the Empire right now is…_chaotic_ to say the least. We must assume that we _**are**_ being plotted against, if not by Terrog or Baras, then by another rival most certainly. If my apprentice were to arrive in command of her own ship in Mos Illa, many people would start to ask why?"

"Until the package is secured, we cannot afford those questions."

Avaryss's frown deepened.

She did not like it, but there was little she could do about it.

She had wanted to get off world for some time, and **this **was her chance. If she did it well, her master would know that he could trust her to carry out other, more complex missions. Plus, who knew…

Whatever this package was might be the key to forging her own powerbase. Depending what it contained, she might just be able to use it to begin her own work to dethrone her dear master.

That possibility alone made this journey worth it.

She smiled gamely.

"It will be done, my lord," she said, "And there will be no failure."

Lord Feer smirked.

"I have no doubt, my dear," her master said, he stepped forward, gently he lifted her up to her feet, she found herself looking into his eyes, her crimson gaze to his golden one.

"Good luck, my child. Bring terror to our enemies, bring rage and death."

He leaned in close so that he could whisper in her ear.

"Prove yourself worthy of being a daughter to me," he purred, "Make me proud."

She smiled and bowed as he stepped back.

"That is what I do," she said.

"What I was made to do."


	3. The Execution

**Chapter 3: The Execution**

A sudden jolt along the path shook Avaryss from her troubled sleep. She bumped her head on the side of the rusty bulkhead, and was wide awake in seconds.

"Ow," she growled, rubbing the side of her head. For a moment she forgot where she was, the nightmares of the past a future still held her in their hungry grip.

She had nearly rose and drew her lightsaber. She glanced around quickly, noticing several optic sensors focused on her. No voices called out, no words of concern were heard, but that was not surprising.

The restraining bolts did their job well. The droids that surrounded her could do little but stare.

It was a bit disturbing, but not threatening.

It seemed that these junk dealers, these Jawas, knew how to keep their merchandise secure.

Lucky them.

The vehicle rocked again, and she was forced to reach out and stop herself from being thrown off balance.

Her eyes narrowed.

_We are in the middle of the desert,_ she thought, _how could there be bumps along the path?_

She stood and dusted herself off, which did little in helping remove the sand from her robes; she had never dealt with so much sand before, not even on Korriban which was basically a desert as well. Tatooine had a different feel to it than the Sith homeworld. Here…it seemed that the sand somehow got **everywhere!**

It was an annoyance, but one that she needed to endure, her master's orders were clear.

Complete the mission, destroy the safe house, and come home.

She intended to do just that, even if it meant putting up with the bumps, and the strange feeling of random droids watching her.

According to her master's agent in Mos Ila, the sand crawler she was currently riding in was well known to the Republic agents living in the safe house. They had seen the massive vehicle pass by many times, and would not even blink an eye when it rumbled within a few kilometers of their base. The Jawas, this strange hooded alien race, with the glowing beady yellow eyes, were not a threat; they were simply wandering junk dealers, selling to whoever chose to buy what they salvaged in the Tatooine desert. The Republic agents had grown used to seeing their sand crawler, and would not investigate further. Nor would they be suspicious when the vehicle ground to a halt, it did that sometimes, the Jawas that drove this beast were always having to stop to make repairs.

When they stopped, she would emerge on her swoop bike, and make the final leg of her journey, under the cover of darkness. According to her master's spies, the safe house's main defense is that no one knew about it. They had some blasters there, yes, but not enough to stop a determined Sith looking to acquire a certain package.

"What is this package supposed to be exactly, she had inquired before she left Mos Ila, "I do not wish to miss it or destroy it during my search."

The agent, a Rodian whose basic she could barely understand, could not say for certain, all he knew was that it was quite large, and the Republic's had sent a request for a ship to move it off world. That transport was supposed to arrive in four days, which meant that she would have only two days to get to the safe house and be away with it, before the Pub reinforcements showed up.

_Plenty of time_, she thought.

_It was all the time in the galaxy._

Before striking out, he had supplied her with a swoop bike, a track and retrieval beacon, and a large hi-tech box he called and jammer. It was on a timer he said, so she should plant it outside the safe house fifteen minutes before beginning her assault. When the counter reached zero, she would have twenty minutes where all communication would be blocked in or out. Plenty of time to render the place destroyed.

She tried not to be over eager, but she could not help it. It had been a long journey from Dromund Kaas. She had spent the bulk of that journey stuffed into a small passenger compartment of some barely functional tramp freighter. One of twenty passengers in a compartment meant to seat only eight at most.

Clad in heavy travel robes, she had avoided her fellows. Her disguise had covered her from head to toe. The other passengers probably did not even realize that she was female. She kept her head down and her eyes covered by a pair of dark goggles. She could disguise herself as some random traveler sure, but she could do nothing to change her Sith eyes.

The goggles would simply have to do.

She kept to herself during the journey, speaking to no one, and avoiding eye contact. None of her fellow passengers forced the issue, so the journey had gone off without a hitch. Perhaps they were polite enough to respect a stranger's desire for privacy, or they might just have sensed the feeling of menace that radiated off the hooded and cloaked young woman in their midst.

Whatever their reasons, they left her alone.

No one said a word to her until they had landed on Tatooine.

She was quite pleased with that.

It was when they reached the planet, this…Tatooine, that for the first time she had found herself on a world not totally in the Empire's grip. A wilderness that was almost completely alien to her. She could not imagine living outside of the Emperor's control; she had spent her entire life up to this point under his control. Seeing this planet, knowing that the Sith did not have complete control. It made her see why the Empire was needed, why the galaxy had to be theirs.

As for Tatooine itself as a whole, the planet was different than any place she had been before with its hot suns and strange denizens…

…The experience of it left her…unimpressed.

She stopped out of the transport in the height of the noon day suns. Even with her protective goggles, the brightness made her look away. The med droids back on Korriban had warned her that she would likely be over-sensitive to bright light for the rest of her life.

For someone with such an affliction, Tatooine was most…unpleasant.

She shook her head.

_Two suns?_ She thought with a frown.

_What kind of world needs __**two**__ suns?_

She pulled her hood down farther on her head, and made her way down the ramp. Her master had provided her with a cover story to get on planet. If anyone asked, she was a simple trader looking to pick up a shipment of cheap metals to sell on the Hutt black market. Mining had been a major source of revenue on Tatooine for many years, though no one had ever gotten rich in seeking to harvest it. Now, most of the big corporation stayed away, which left Tatooine open to many small time operators.

It was as good a cover as any.

As she made her way through the small town, she was surprised by just how many aliens made this place their home. She had seen aliens before of course, but they were a rarity within the Empire. Most of the species she had met were those known to have an affinity for the dark side of the Force. Twi'leks, Zabrak's and once even a Gran.

This place though, there were dozens of different species, some she did not even recognize.

She was intrigued.

As a girl, she had not shared the Empire's dislike of alien species. She was curious about other worlds and cultures. Her duties back on Oridanna had always kept her busy but…

She shook her head.

_Snap out of it,_ she thought to herself, _you are not here to gawk like some rube. You are here to complete your master's mission. Make your way to the cantina, and meet his agent._

She nodded.

For a moment there, she had gotten lost, what she had once been had bubbled to the surface, it still happened sometimes, but she would endeavor to make sure that it would not happen again. These species were nothing special; she could not even sense the Force strongly in any of them.

They were an oddity nothing more.

She had no time to gawk at oddities.

Like many small communities, the cantina was often the center of life. It was here that most people came to not only do business, but catch up on local gossip, and learn about what was happening in the galaxy as a whole.

Avaryss took a seat near the back, she ordered some local spirit, but did not drink it. Someone might have been suspicious had she chosen to simply sit and wait. When her master's Rodian pet finally arrived, almost an hour had passed, she had voiced her displeasure, but he assured her that it could not be helped.

This was no mere game they were playing, many eyes were upon them; he had doubled back several times to make sure that he had not been followed here.

Only when he was sure that they were safe did he finally give her the full details of the mission. He provided her with both a map and his most recent scan of the Republic safe house, not an easy thing to get, considering that this was in fact a safe house.

"It appears that the bulk of the safe house is underground. Seismic scan suggests two levels down at least, I could not get more than that, the Republic are using some kind of jamming tech to protect against detailed scans."

"A military safe house then?" she inquired, "Some kind of listening post?"

"Not the right equipment for something like that," the agent offered, "With the exception of the jammers, of course, I would guess Special Information Service. Republic SIS knows how to guard its secrets.

Avaryss nodded.

_Spies then_, she thought_. She would have to move quickly._

Spies knew how destroy evidence, she would have to come in hard and fast, give them little or no time to react.

"What about transport," she had asked, "I will need to approach unseen."

The Rodian made a ruffing sound, his version of laughter she guessed.

"My old friend Tik is a boss on a sand crawler; he can get you where you need to go."

Avaryss was not sure what a Jawa was at that moment, but she had nodded gamely.

The Rodian left first, with her following five minutes later. He had directed her to a small bazaar on the edge of town; The Jawas had been finishing up after an afternoon of trading with the locals.

As the Rodian had said, they were more than willing to offer her a ride.

IOI

It was almost three hours into the journey when she had started to get annoyed, she had seen nothing of the Jawas since they let her board their vehicle, and with no windows she had no idea where she was.

Paranoia began to rise up, filling her head with ideas.

What if they are going to try and sell me to the Republic? What if they know who and what I am?

Her hands clenched into fists.

She would destroy these little rodents before they even got the chance!

She began to push her way forward, past the various droids scattered about the sand crawler's hold, she had been on her way to speak with whichever of the little wretches were in charge when she noticed something interesting nestled in the corner of the sand crawler's hold.

She paused, recognizing what she was seeing, or rather what she thought she was seeing.

She smiled wickedly.

The droid was old, make no mistake, its gun metal colored chassis was dirty and faded from many long days in the twin suns. It was missing both of its legs and one arm, but the head is what drew her attention, it appeared undamaged and intact. She had seen such droids in books and drawings in the archives back on Korriban.

"Why hello there," she said to the empty powered down eyes.

"What are you doing here?"

The droid, or rather the wreck that had once been a droid, was an old HK model. According to what she had read back on Korriban these droids had been quite lethal and skilled hunters once upon a time. There had been several reference to HK droids serving the Sith over the years. No mere assassin droids, the descriptions had called these automatons as tools of wanton slaughter.

Could be useful, she thought, provided it could be restored.

The sound of Jawa chittering drew her attention, the door she had been searching for had opened, and a pair of the little brown robed aliens made their way down. They sought her out, speaking in their strange language, a language that the translator she carried had no problem deciphering.

They were coming up on their destination, the Jawa informed her.

It would soon be time for her to go.

She nodded; it seemed that these little creatures could be trusted after all.

Refreshing, considering some of the beings she had been forced to deal with in the last few years.

_They have to be honest to a point,_ she realized, _they live and die on their word, they survive on trade, if people did not trust them, how would they survive out here?_

The realization made her respect for the creatures grow.

They had no size or strength; their weapons were minimal and or archaic at best. Yet, by being useful to those who lived here, they remained not only relevant, but a necessary part of life on this world.

Avaryss nodded.

What the galaxy was finally theirs, these creatures would be useful to the Sith Empire, she was sure of it.

In the meantime though.

"How much for this," she said gesturing to the HK, "Name a price."

The Jawas blinked and spoke to each other in hushed tones, she was not sure if they had the right to sell the droid to her, but at the least they could report to the one who did.

The taller of the two named a price, it was quite high, but that was not unexpected, the Jawas went in expecting to haggle, even with someone travelling with them.

Avaryss did not have the time or the patience to haggle. She knew what she wanted and she would have it.

"Done," she said, "I will pay you half now, and you will get the other half when you deliver the droid to my agent in Mos Ila."

The Jawas chittered with surprise; they had not expected the one they called an outlander to give in so quickly.

It might not have been the best deal she could make, but if she was able to get the old assassin droid working again…

It could prove to be an invaluable tool to her work.

_You could have just killed them;_ the darkside whispered, _killed them and took what you wanted!_

True, but that would mean she would have to find another way to get the droid back to Dromund Kaas. These Jawas would want the rest of their payment and would deliver the droid to wherever she desired. Her master's agent would ensure it found its way back to her.

She was not the type of Sith that thought with her lightsaber.

Never destroy something that could still prove useful. Who knew, if her business ever brought her back here, the Jawas might remember her generosity and if they found something else, something really intriguing, they might even bring it to her attention first.

Making an ally was useful. The destruction of these little ones might provide a bit of a distraction, but…

It might also alert her enemies to her presence. No, she would be patient, for now.

If she wanted blood, there was plenty waiting at the Republic safe house.

She would be able to satisfy her appetite for destruction soon enough.

The Jawas left to get the data pad with the transfer of ownership for her new droid, while Avaryss made her way to where her swoop bike had been stored.

She needed to check over her supplies, make sure that everything was ready.

Once the fighting started things would happen fast.

A shiver of excitement ran down her spine.

This would be the first time she got to engage Republic forces, she had fought prisoners during her student years, but those had already been broken by the Imperial prison system.

She suspected that these SIS people would have far sharper teeth.

She welcomed the challenge. For too long she had been forced to deal with thugs and sycophants back on Dromund Kaas.

It would be good to spill the blood of their true enemy.

The sand crawler lurched again, but this time she had not been caught off balance. The dark side was singing in her now, her eagerness to face real opponents made her feel giddy.

Ready or not, she thought with a hungry grin.

Here I come.

IOI

It was at first dusk when the sand crawler finally stopped, no sooner had the ramp lowered, Avaryss shot out into the coming night on her swoop. Several Jawas squawked and fled as she blew past them, but considering what they had been paid to transport her, they could endure a little shock.

The swoop the Rodian had found for her was faster than what she was used to. Growing up on Oridanna, a swoop was the primary form of transportation for a young person doing her chores. Avaryss had first learned to ride one at thirteen.

She smiled as she opened up the throttle, the desert floor zipped past below her. The coming evening had brought a cool breeze to the desert, a breeze that pushed back her hood, and let her long dark hair blow free.

She had forgotten how much fun a swoop bike could be, and the setting suns had turned the night sky a gentle shade of violet, much like the afternoon skies of her distant home world.

For the first time in a long time, a twinge of homesickness ran though the young Sith. It had been years since she had last set foot upon Oridanna, felt the gentle breeze on her face, looked out over the sea of blowing long grass and…

Stop it!

She snarled at herself.

Oridanna is _**not**_ your home, _**not**_ anymore! You are Avaryss, Avaryss of the Sith, Dromund Kaas is your home. House Feer is your home.

She shook her head.

Distantly, deep inside, she could feel the last shred of what had once been a girl named Keera Lylos wail pathetically.

Avaryss ignored her, ignored that voice. A Sith did not have time for feeling homesick, especially about a home that was no longer hers...

…Especially when she had a mission to complete.

She checked the map that the Rodian had given her, at this speed she would be at the Republic safe house in a matter of an hour.

She slowed down slightly, letting the suns get a little lower in the sky. She would not be able to simply ride up to the entrance. She would need to stash her swoop nearby, and move in on foot.

She would plant the jammer as soon as she was in range. After that was done, things would happen very quickly.

All joy of riding the swoop faded, she began to play the mind games she had been taught during her student years, psyching herself up for the confrontation to come.

The world soon seemed tinged with red, and it had nothing to do with the fading light of the day.

Avaryss continued to gather her power.

She would need it soon enough.

IOI

An hour later she found herself creeping slowly through the desert, the Force offering her both speed and stealth as she drew in close to her objective.

Her heart pounded with anticipation. Patience was not typically a virtue of the Sith. It took all her self-control to move silently as she crept up on the Pubs and their little hidey hole.

She had paused briefly on a small ridge overlooking the place. To anyone passing by, it would have looked like any other hovel common in these parts.

The construction actually reminded Avaryss a little of the farms found on Oridanna, built low and into the ground to shield them from sandstorms. The Oridanna had done similar, but there farms were built to shield against the winds that could batter a building to dust if left unshielded.

The young Sith frowned.

This place seemed bound and determined to remind her of her former life. What she was experiencing, what she was feeling only served to fuel her anger.

She welcomed the chance to burn this place down, if for no other reason to end the sense of nostalgia that was now haunting her.

She checked the chrono on her wrist, only one more minute until the jammer she had set up activated. Soon the safe house would be cut off to the outside world, and in that moment, she would be free to strike.

She reached out with Force, letting its tendrils extend to the enemy dwelling. She was surprised by the darkness she sensed. She had figured Republic agents and officers to be more…grounded in the light than what she was sensing.

If they lean towards the dark, so much the better, she thought, she would not only be able to feed off their darker emotions, but they would also be more vulnerable to her spells. To touch the dark side was to be easily enthralled by its power.

Already she was starting to enjoy this, she…

The chrono on her hand chirped. She sank down deeper into the sand and waited.

The Jammer had just come on line.

It was almost time to move.

She watched and waited, curious to see if and how the pubs in side would respond. She did not have to wait long, four people emerged from the dwelling; they made their way towards what looked like some kind of collection tower. Through the Force she sensed their annoyance, but no fear or caution.

She grinned.

Clearly they had lost signal out here before, they had become conditioned to not be worried about it.

They would soon learn the error of that.

She rose and started moving towards them, the Force increased her speed, to the naked eye she would appear as a blur, and nothing more.

She moved closer to the pubs...

…Closer…and closer…

"This is the third time this week," she heard one of the agents say.

"At least it isn't the fourth," another said chuckling.

"I can't wait for the damn ship to get here, we need replacement parts; everything breaks down too fast out here."

"Could be worse, you could be assigned to the team on Nar Shadda, now there is a…

"QUIET!"

"But…

"QUIET! I heard something."

Avaryss smiled, the agents were looking around, dressed not for combat, but to blend in as any other settler that lived out here. Once again their familiarity worked against them.

They still had yet to draw their weapons.

"Tuskens?" she heard one say.

"We saw no banthas on the scanner; the sandies don't come in without their beasts. They…

Avaryss rose, she stood as quiet and as still as a shadow.

One of the soldiers finally noticed her.

"Halt," he said pulling his sidearm, "Who goes there?"

Avaryss smiled, removing her hood and slipping out of her robe, underneath she wore a simple combat suit.

She smiled hungrily at the four soldiers.

"Hi there," she said sweetly.

She ignited her lightsaber; the world was bathed in scarlet light.

She moved.

The four agents never knew what hit them.

One moment they were standing still looking at her, and the next she was among them. Her lightsaber hummed as it took off both limbs and heads. The four agents did not even have time to cry out, only a few surprised gasps, and gurgles of pain as she ended their lives.

One in the back started to run; he did not shout or try to raise the alarm, too scared perhaps or…

She noticed a small metal box on a pole, a large button blinking on its base.

An alarm, she realized with a snarl.

Sorry, she thought.

I don't think so.

She flung her lightsaber towards the man, it spun faster and faster directed by her command of the Force.

The remaining soldier lost both his head, and the arm that had been reaching towards the button. Her lightsaber wheeled around and returned to her outstretched hand.

He felt to the sandy ground with barely a thud.

She closed down the lightsaber and reattached it to her belt.

Killing the four had only taken ten seconds, maybe eight, and not a single one had managed to call for help.

She smiled triumphantly.

Her master would be pleased.

She looked down on the slain; an amused smile graced her lips.

"So you have friends on Nar Shadda," she purred, "Good to know, I'm sure I will be visiting them soon."

More voices drew her attention, she did not think she had made enough noise to draw attention, but perhaps she had been mistaken.

She grinned and made her way towards the center of the safe house. Like the farm back home, the dome on the surface opened to a small courtyard below and out of the wind.

She did not bother using the door; she simply ignited her blade, and leapt down into the safe house.

Cries of shock and surprise greeted her, cries cut short by the humming of her lightsaber, that and its red hot blade. Bodies fell as the agents realized they were under attack, the alarm finally sounded but it did not matter.

She was already inside, and eight of their number was already dead.

She smiled.

She was ready to make it nine.

This would not be a battle, she had decided. It would be an execution…an _**extermination!**_

Her eyes flashed with dark glee.

"Who's first," she cried out cutting down another pub agent.

She laughed wickedly.

"So…who's next?"


	4. The Escape

**Chapter 4: The Escape**

She stepped gingerly among the corpses as she made one final search of the ruined safe house. Reaching out with the Force she tried to sense any one left alive among the dead, either hiding or merely feigning death.

So far…she had found nothing.

Avaryss chuckled.

So far, this had been a most…diverting mission.

Her heart pounded and her blood raced. She was still feeding off the adrenalin, the excitement of the hunt through all three levels of this pub installation.

This…this feeling…this is what it meant to truly be Sith, she thought.

This…was what _**real **_power felt like.

She kept her blade at the ready as she came to yet another sealed door, she tried the control first, and the door slid open easily, revealing only an empty office.

She hissed with disappointment after reaching out with the Force and finding no one hiding inside.

She glanced down at the bodies scattered through the now silent hall. Including the four she had killed outside, twenty men and women had made this place their home. Now twenty corpses lay cooling in her wake. Some cut by her lightsaber, others destroyed by the power of the Force. The dark side radiated from the carnage, making her giddy as she continued her search.

They had fought bravely, these people, none had begged for mercy or tried to run. Most died trying to stop her advance, and those that had not had spent their last few moments trying to destroy the secrets of this place, to deny her any advantage of having cleared it. Neither had met with success, she had been moving too fast, she had swept over them like a sandstorm, their lives ending before they had a chance to complete their mission.

She smiled.

Brave men and women, yes, they had been, but in the end foolish.

Their feeble skills and training was no match for the power of the dark side. No match for the will of the Sith.

It was why the Empire would one day rule the entire galaxy, and then, at long last, security and order would reign throughout the stars.

The chrono on her wrist beeped, warning her that she had only five minutes left before the jammer she had planted finally ceased to function. If the pubs had had any automated distress call active, it would be heard as soon as her jamming signal stopped.

She was not sure if these people had any reinforcements close by, but why take chances?

Her eyes narrowed.

She no longer had time to revel in her success. The time had come to find her master's prize, this mysterious package.

It was time to get out of here.

She began her search on the lowest level of the facility. She found nothing but a generator system, and fuel storage for it.

Smiling, she opened up the fuel barrels with the Force, letting their contents spew out onto the floor, the smell was almost overpowering. She already had an idea of how to cover her tracks, and this would serve nicely.

She ascended a level and found several offices and a small armory. She took several detonators from the cache, plaining on using them to erase this place.

Next she came across what looked like a medical room, the machines used to monitor life signs were easy to spot, and next to them.

She paused.

Well, she thought, this was interesting.

Sitting against the far wall, just behind an operating table stood a large carbonite slab, the controls blinking softly in the dim light, and if she was not mistaken, inside the slab.

The features of a young man were barely visible, his face twisted in a look of pure agony!

The pain that he had endured washed over her like blast of icy water. It was a pain that she was quite familiar with, considering her own history.

Her brow furrowed.

Torture, she realized, these pubs had been **torturing** this man. She was stunned.

Pubs don't act like this, or at least they are not _suppose_ too, their Jedi lap dogs would not approve.

Perhaps that is why there were no Jedi here to defend this place.

Perhaps the Jedi did **not** know? Maybe the Republic had been up to something here, something they did not wish their Jedi friends to know about.

_Most intriguing._

Avaryss shuddered as she reached out to the frozen man with the Force. She could sense life signs, faint, but they were there, and underneath that.

She shook her head, confused.

"Whoa," she murmured.

"Who are you?"

Even in a state of hibernation, she could feel the Force swirling around this person. He was not Force sensitive, she would have recognized that right away, but still…the Force moved strangely around him, spinning like a hurricane.

She licked her lips, her mouth suddenly gone dry.

During her training she had heard of things called shatter points. People and events that served as levers in the Force, a person makes one choice and an entire civilization ends, they chose differently, and that same race goes on to conquer the entire galaxy. Such shatter points were rare; the Force did not seem willing to create something so powerful often.

She smiled slightly.

This boy, whoever he was, was one such shatter point.

She nodded.

She had found the mysterious package; this boy was her master's prize.

She reached out and touched the hard cold face.

"You are coming with me," she murmured.

"Let's go home."

The carbonite slab had already been rigged with a repulsor system. Once activated it would glide over the ground like any land speeder. While she searched for the control she found a computer terminal that the pubs had forgotten to erase, she pulled a data spike from her belt and downloaded all of the information it contained.

She paused briefly and read it as the date scrolled past.

What she was reading, it did not make sense.

According to the file, the young man's name was Thranton Rink. He was approximately nineteen years of age, and a citizen of Nar Shadda. He had no known family, and an arrest sheet that was quite extensive. Space ship thievery, air speeder thievery, possession of stolen goods, attempting to sell stolen goods, the list just went on and on.

She shook her head.

Though she had never been there, she had read about Nar Shadda during her training, it was said to be cesspit; gangs, spice, and criminality were said to rule the small moon.

She once again regarded the carbonite slab.

Not the kind of history one expected from a person that now found themselves as a shatter point in the Force.

It would be most interesting to hear what he had to say, once he had been properly broken, of course.

Her chrono beeped again, her two minute warning.

She frowned.

She was out of time.

She reached onto her belt and triggered her track and retrieval beacon. Somewhere on Tatooine, Lord Feer's ship would pick up the signal and move in to pick her up, her and her prize.

She activated the repulsor; it lifted off the ground, and turned horizontal. She began to push the slab towards the exit. She had damaged the turbolift system during her attack but that was no problem. The Force easily raised the slab out of the underground bunker, and she easily leapt up after it.

By now she could smell the fuel that she spilled seeping throughout the lower level of the safe house. All was in readiness, she thought.

She set the detonators she had taken with a ten minute delay. That would give her ride eight minutes to get here and for them to be gone, after the jammer shut down.

After that, this entire place would be a smoldering crater; any evidence of her being here would be gone.

Her master would be pleased.

As she entered the courtyard, she thought she could hear the distant sound of engines.

She blinked.

Could her ride be here already?

That was fast!

She used the Force to lift the slab out of the courtyard, and leapt after it.

She tossed her last detonator down; it bounced off one of bodies of the Republic agents and ended rolled back down into the bunker.

She nodded, pleased with her work.

At least I can offer you a funeral pyre; she thought thinking of the men and women who had died trying to resist her.

At least no animals will get your bodies, take solace in that.

As she began to move the package away from the doomed safe house, a ship roared past her overhead, roared past, and made a quick turn.

She smirked.

Beautiful she thought.

The ship was a Fury class interceptor, one of the most versatile vessels in the Sith Fleet. It was also a favorite among Sith apprentices, offering the maneuverability of a fighter with the firepower of much larger ship.

She was pleased; her master had made a most excellent choice. This ship…

She paused.

The ship landed and its ramp lowered. She waited; War Master Feore had told her the ship would flash its landing lights on a repeating pattern when it picked her up, so that she would know that the transport was hers.

So far, the interceptor had not done that, two Sith troopers emerged, motioning her forward, telling her to hurry.

Avaryss stopped, she reached out with the Force, what she sensed, she did not like.

She snarled, stepped in front of the prize, and activated her lightsaber.

The troopers did not hesitate, they opened fire.

_Thieves,_ she realized, **hijackers**, _come to steal her master's prize!_

She blocked their bolts easily, switching quickly from Soresu to Shien. She used her lightsaber to send the blaster bolts back into those that fired them.

Both troopers fell without a sound.

She dropped into a fighting stance, her sword held before her, at the ready.

A single figure emerged, a dark skinned Sith in a red black combat suit.

He glared imperiously at her.

"My name is Ba'al," he called out, "I'm your death."

Avaryss' eyes narrowed.

"I'm not dead yet," she shouted back.

This Sith, this Ba'al, laughed.

"I will be fixing that soon enough, girl.

He drew his lightsaber the scarlet blade humming with lethal intent.

Her crimson eyes narrowed.

They did not have time for this!

The jammer had surely shut down by now.

If the pubs had any allies nearby, they would have company very soon, and then there was the matter of the detonators she had set.

She did not have time to duel this fool!

"How did you find this place?"

The other Sith sneered.

"My master knows much. He knew what that fool Feer had planned. Your master's scheme to distract him has failed, now the prize will be mine."

He shook his head.

"I must admit, I had thought that Feer would send one of his other apprentices one of the more experienced ones, not some little girl."

Avaryss snarled, but at the same time she took note of something Ba'al had said.

_Other apprentices?_

What **other** apprentices?

She could find out later, first she had to make sure that she made it out of here alive.

She smiled wickedly.

"Darth Terrog is about to lose a pawn," she said, "How sad for him."

"I do not serve that fool," Ba'al shot back sounding insulted, "He is nothing!"

"Ah," Avaryss laughed, "So you serve Lord Baras. Good to know."

Ba'al blinked, surprise quickly turned to anger at how she had just manipulated him.

Avaryss chuckled.

"You volunteer information far too easily Ba'al," she taunted, "Your master will not be pleased."

"Considering you are about to die, whelp; there will be no one left alive to tell him.

Ba'al leapt at her. Avaryss fell back dropping back into the slow deliberate style of Soresu. Ba'al's attacks were mostly Shii-Cho with a little Ataru thrown in for some flash.

She was not worried, she could take this fool, but at that moment her chrono beeped again, her jammer was now offline.

If the Republics had any contingency plan in place, it would now be active.

She did not have time for this.

She and Ba'al danced across the sand their lightsabers hissing and popping with every strike and parry. He tried to fling sand in her face, only to have her leap over him and nearly take his head. Again he lashed out viciously, pushing her back with fierce and heavy strikes.

It was then that she noticed what was happening with her prize. Two more of Ba'al's Sith Troopers had emerged and were pushing the slab towards their waiting ship.

"NO!" she snarled. She gestured, the dark side responding as she cast a spell.

The soldiers stopped in their tracks, they shrieked and ran, the nightmares she had unlocked in their tiny minds overwhelming their training. They…

Ba'al took advantage, he was on her again; the slight distraction was all he needed. His lightsaber burned into her shoulder the wound was not deep, but it was enough.

She staggered back, only just being able to hold onto her weapon.

Ba'al did not move in for the kill, she could feel the arrogance radiating off him. He was savoring this moment, enjoying it.

"The prize is mine, girl," he crowed, "Lord Baras will reward me well for both the prize and your head. I will.

Ba'al's ship rocked where it had landed, laser fire raked its upper hull.

The brightness of the blasts shocked Avaryss' light sensitive eyes, but at the same time threw Ba'al off balance, he did not have the chance to take advantage.

Avaryss blinked, but at the same time laughed.

A second Fury had joined the fight. Ba'al's ship had been caught flatfooted as the interceptor made another pass.

It seems that my ride is here, Avaryss thought.

It was about bloody time.

"Ba'al backed up, his sword up as he shrieked into a comlink on his shoulder.

"Get airborne," he shouted, "Bring down that ship! Do not…"

Avaryss did not attack, not with her lightsaber.

She used Ba'al brief moment of distraction to breach his weakened mental shields. He had been surprised by the arrival of her ship.

It was all the opportunity she needed.

She cast another spell.

Ba'al's eyes widened.

He cried out in horror!

Avaryss was not sure exactly what he was seeing, but it appeared that nightmare was centered on his lightsaber.

"GET AWAY!" he shouted, "GET AWAY!"

SNAKES!" he gasped, "SNAKES!"

Avaryss giggled.

"Snakes, Ba'al," she said getting his attention, "You don't like snakes?"

She opened her mouth moving her tongue in a snake like fashion.

In that briefest of moments she saw what he was experiencing.

His lightsaber had become a long red serpent, when he looked at her, her long hair had become a nest of serpents, her tongue a long pink hissing monster, its fangs dripping venom.

It was enough to make him retreat in horror from her.

She advanced, feeding off his terror.

Savoring it.

Glorious, she thought as she drank in his fear.

Delicious!

Ba'al fell back, caught in the imagined coils of the serpent that had once been his lightsaber. His own blade cut two small wounds in his face. Leaving an x shaped burn across his brow. Finally he managed to throw away his lightsaber. He lay whimpering at her feet, holding his burned face.

She stood over him, reveling in his suffering.

"Your master will not be pleased," she said grimly.

Then she kicked him hard between the legs. He groaned and lay in the sand whimpering in a fetal position.

She smirked.

"Say hello, to Darth Baras for me," she purred, "If you survive the explosion."

She left him where he lay; her chrono was beeping again, warning her that the charges she set were getting close to detonation.

She had played long enough.

Now she **really** had to get out of here!

Ba'al's ship was trying to take off but its repulsors had been hit, it spun like a drunken spacer on shore leave. Avaryss stood before the carbonite slab, waving her hands, trying to get her ship's attention.

The Fury broke off its attack run and clumsily made a quick and hard landing.

Avaryss eyes narrowed.

If the pilot had damaged her only way off this rock, he would answer.

The ramp lowered as the ship flashed the all-clear signal with its landing lights.

Finally, Avaryss thought.

Time to go!

She pushed the carbonite slab towards the waiting ramp.

Ba'al's ship opened fire; explosions tore up the sand behind her.

She willed the Force to give her burst of speed; she shot forward, just avoiding the lethal blasts from the other Fury.

She flew up the ramp, the carbonite slab slammed into the bulk head and she hit it hard, all the wind knocked from her body

She slumped down, but at the same time tried to rise, behind her the ramp was closing.

"Lift…off," she gasped, almost choking, trying to get her wind back.

"Lift…off!"

A female Imperial ran up to her, helping her to her feet. A pale skinned girl with a heavily freckled grease stained face and a tangled mass of bright frizzy red hair sticking out from beneath her cap.

"Are you okay," she said, "You hit…?"

Avaryss pushed her away; she found her feet and rushed to the bridge.

"LIFT OFF!" she shouted to the pilot.

"GET US OUT OF HERE!"

The Fury bucked beneath her as the engines fired, she staggered back as the acceleration picked up.

The ship shudder as a laser strike caught them.

Avaryss staggered but still managed to keep her feet.

She made her way to the bridge.

The Fury banked, a lone imperial pilot sat at the Fury's controls. Long of faced, skinny, with stringy brown hair, he brought the ship around and began a run at the second Fury which was even now climbing in pursuit.

"Welcome aboard, my lord," the pilot said not taking his eyes off the approaching ship. "I'm Captain Slynn. The pursuer will be neutralized shortly.

Avaryss growled under her breath.

Ba'al's ship did not matter! They had to get out of here, before…

The sky lit up as the safe house below exploded!

The fuel and the detonators combined nicely to make a nice boom!

Avaryss shielded her eyes as the other Fury was caught in shockwave and battered, their own ship bucked as the blast struck,

Captain Slynn wisely broke off his attack and started to climb, Avaryss was thrown against the navigation console, the galaxy map flickered as she hit.

She glared at the Imperial.

She did not approve of being thrown around like a piece of cargo. She…

She sighed heavily, the dark side wanted her to lash out violently at the man, but she held it in check.

She needed him to fly the ship.

She needed him to get them out of here.

They had the prize.

They needed to get it back to Dromund Kaas.

"Is the other ship still after us, Captain?"

"No pursuers on the scanner, my lord," he said, "It looks like we have made good our…"

The ship bucked as it was raked by laser fire.

Avaryss glared at him.

"No pursuers?" she asked coldly.

"They were not behind us," he said as his hands moved quickly over the controls, they were coming in from high orbit, they…"

Another blast struck, alarms wailed on the command console. As four fighters screamed past the Fury and began to circle around for another pass.

She hissed at the sight.

_Republic fighters._

It seemed that the safe house did manage to get out some kind of distress call.

Now they were under attack.

"Take evasive action," Avaryss ordered, "Get us into hyperspace."

"Holli is working on that now, my lord," the Captain promised, "I've angled the deflector shields, we will be find until we make the jump to hyperspace."

The ship bucked beneath them again, another alarm went off, Slynn brought the ship into a spinning motion as a missile sped past the Fury and exploded off their port side.

She glared at the pilot.

"Get us into hyperspace…NOW!"

He pressed a button on the console.

"Holli," he said, "We need to jump now! You ready!

"I've just brought the drive back online," the female officer she had bumped into earlier said, "You may jump when ready."

Avaryss eyes widened.

They had not even had the hyper drive online when they picked her up?!

_The fools!_

_**They should have been prepared!**_

Slynn was oblivious to her anger, as he pulled the hyper drive handle down.

The star elongated as there was a brief pause in their forward momentum.

The ship shot forward into hyperspace!

Avaryss did not stop gripping the back of the pilot's chair until the ship was safely moving through the blue spinning tunnel of hyperspace.

She sighed heavily.

She had done it.

They were away.

Slynn leaned back with a satisfied sigh.

"We are clear, my lord," he said.

"We are safe."

She nodded grimly, and left without another word.

She did not trust herself to keep from strangling the pilot.

His sloppiness had nearly gotten her killed. They had not been ready to pull her out when she called.

She was tempted to execute **both **the Imperials, but again they were lucky.

Avaryss did not know how to fly a starship.

They would get to keep their lives, for now.

She made her way back to the hold, to check on the prize.

She found the red haired officer securing it, while at the same time checking it over with some kind of medical scanner.

Avaryss let her finish, curious what the woman might find.

"Is it intact," she inquired, "Is he still alive?"

The officer startled, she blushed as red as her hair when she realized that Avaryss was standing there.

"Yes sir, I mean…my lady…um my lord, ma'am, he is alive, in hibernation but alive."

Avaryss nodded.

_Good._

At least something had worked out with her escape.

It was then that the Imperial noticed her wounded arm, her green eyes widened.

"Oh! You're hurt! Let me get the medical kit."

Before Avaryss could tell her otherwise, the girl rushed off.

Avaryss sighed.

_Eager to please, much_, she thought.

Still the girl had done her duty without being told, that was a step up from some imperials she encountered.

The officer returned, and got to work on the lightsaber burn on Avaryss' arm.

"It is not bad," the Sith apprentice said.

"Sure,' but we don't want it getting infected. I don't think it would kill, but it would definitely make you grumpy."

The girl gave her an infectious smile.

"Nothing worse than a grumpy Sith Lord."

Avaryss snorted.

The girl had no idea.

"Are you a medical officer?" she asked.

"Oh no," the girl said standing at attention and saluting.

"Ensign Lujayne Holli, Imperial Engineering corps.

"Avaryss," the apprentice replied.

"Welcome aboard, my lord."

Holli went back to work on her arm.

Avaryss said nothing further as she worked.

"Why was the hyper drive offline when you came to get me?" she asked.

Holli coughed.

"Slynn wanted it checked, made sure that everything was ready before we were called, I don't think expected you to call so soon after dark."

Avaryss reached out with the Force, she felt no deception in the Engineer, which meant she was likely telling the truth, not simply trying to pass the blame.

Avaryss nodded grimly.

Bad timing on his part then, She thought, either that or stupidity.

She would need to watch him, just in case.

She said nothing more while the girl worked tending her burn.

"All done," she said, ending some kolto based sealant to the burn to prevent infection.

Avaryss nodded her approval.

It was not as good as med droid could do, but it was adequate.

"Inform the captain not to make a straight run to Dromund Kaas," she ordered the girl; "I don't want us being tracked by those pub dogs."

"Yes Milord," Holli said stepping back and saluting, her red eyes sparkling with an eagerness to please.

"How far are we out from Dromund Kaas," Avaryss asked.

"We should be there in about six hours, seven if you wish us to evade any possible pursuit."

"Do so," Avaryss said, "Now where are my quarters?"

"Down that corridor, my lord," Holli offered, "First cabin on the right, I take it that you will not wish us to disturb you until we reach home."

Avaryss nodded.

"If an emergency comes up, contact me, otherwise, unless we have word from home, I do not wish to be disturbed."

"Very well, my lord," Holli said saluting again, "Have a good rest, and congratulations on a successful mission."

The girl blinked.

"We…um…did succeed? Yes?"

"You are still alive, yes?" Avaryss asked.

"Yes."

Then we succeeded."

Holli nodded grinning brightly.

"That is good to know."

Avaryss said nothing more as she made her way to her cabin.

She considered her crew.

She was not sure what to make of them.

An odd pair she thought. Slynn did not strike her as entirely competent; she would need to evaluate his performance later. Holli was...

Avaryss blinked.

Wait a minute!

She thought back over her encounter with the engineer.

Hadn't the girl had green eyes when Avaryss had first met her? She remembered that, but then again, the girl's eyes had been crimson when she was dismissed.

Avaryss blinked.

Had her eyes been green or red?

You are imagining things; this mission has you seeing things that are not there.

Holli is just another imperial, they are nothing, disposable.

Avaryss nodded.

Yes, she must have been mistaken.

She had sensed no Force potential in Holli, in either of the two officers,

She must have imagined what she saw.

The imperial does not matter, the prize is yours.

Avaryss grinned.

She could return in triumph to her master.

She collapsed onto the bed with a final groan.

Force exhaustion finally got the best of her.

She was asleep in moments.

It was the dreamless sleep of the victorious, no nightmares, and no ghosts.

Tatooine was blissfully behind her now.

Hopefully her next assignment would be as successful.

She had found something in that safe house, a wondrous mystery.

She was eager to see where it led.

To the future, she thought.

To the future…and greatness!


	5. The Gathering

**Chapter 5: The Gathering**

Wonder.

It was not an emotion that Avaryss had had much experience with lately. Her duties as Lord Feer's apprentice had consumed her; pretty much everything in her life was now dedicated to serving his interests and her own dark ambitions, but that did not mean that she was now incapable of feeling more than her lust for power.

Wonder, like innocence, was pointless. She **was** still capable of feeling it, but it seemed more like foolish sentiment than a necessary part of her life. Wonder was something a child or a young girl might feel; it had no place in the life of a Sith Apprentice.

Accompanying Lord Feer tonight, looking down on the world below, it made her realize that she was _**still **_a young girl, and **still** capable of being impressed.

As the air speeder made its way towards Kaas City, the young Sith found her breath taken away, the capital glittered like a sea of diamonds, great spotlights illuminated the crimson banners emblazoned with the symbol of the Empire. The whole city was alight this evening, and with it the imagination of a young woman was inspired.

She stared down upon it all in awe her eyes as wide as saucers.

Normally, when she visited the capital, it was from the back of an armored speeder, with her master issuing orders to her the entire time. During those trips, she had never had a chance to simply look down and see Kaas City for the amazing place that it truly was. Those journeys had been all about work, business, with their security and privacy being of paramount importance.

Tonight, however, was not about secrecy, the lords of the Empire were gathering. Tonight was about being seen, and showing off your strength and power to your peers.

She did not know how the gathering had gotten started. Perhaps it marked some great victory long forgotten; perhaps it was the day of their great Emperor's birth. Whatever the reason tonight the Sith Lords would gather at the Citadel and show off both the prestige and power of the Empire.

Tonight the strength of the Sith would be on full display, for allies and enemies a like. Let them look upon that strength, and either revel or despair.

That was the whole point of the gathering. It was about impressing your allies, and intimidating your rivals, and tonight would be Avaryss' **first** gathering, her first chance to stand before the rest of the Sith as one of them.

It was enough to give any apprentice reason to pause.

Given her recent victory on Tatooine, Lord Feer had decided that it should be _she_ that would be on his arm tonight. Lady Feer would be in attendance of course, but she would be escorted in by her son, not her lord husband.

"The Lady Synestra will not be happy about this, my master," Avaryss had said when she first heard this.

Her master had snorted, amused by her comment.

"You will find apprentice, that my darling wife is rarely happy about anything. The gathering is about the order, about masters and apprentices. My son is my wife's apprentice; it should fall to him to accompany her."

Feer smiled then.

"You won a great victory for me, you acquired my prize and did so in the face of both our enemies and our fellow Sith; such an act deserves to be rewarded. Tonight, you will stand with me and I will introduce you to the order. One day, Emperor willing, you will stand among these lords as a peer, if not a superior.

"It is time that you got to **know** them."

His words sent a shudder down her spine, not of fear, but excitement.

Up to this point, her role as apprentice had basically been that of a glorified courier. Yes, she had had to enforce her master's will on occasion, but those acts had been carried out on people who already knelt to Lord Feer, or functioned under his patronage.

Now she found herself sitting at his side, wearing dress robes that likely cost more credits than the farm house that she had grown up in. It was a heady feeling, realizing how far she had come.

_It only gets better from here,_ she thought. _You are just starting your journey down the path to power. You must grow use to the trapping of wealth, and the responsibility of wielding power._

It is the only true way to excel.

Though a powerful Darth, Lord Feer was one of many within the empire, with the Dark Council standing above him, and the Emperor above them. Her place at her master's side was useful, but it was limited by the fact that she had not yet had a chance to interact with her fellow Sith.

Tonight that would change.

She was eager to meet them, but at the same time, a thought occurred to her, that perhaps this was not the best of ideas.

"What if they already _know_ me," she had asked, "That…that business on Korriban, I doubt I made many allies with my choices."

"You refer to the incident involving that pure blood boy, the one who seduced you?"

Avaryss nodded.

Yes, Fehl _**had**_ seduced her, but it had been more than that. They…they had actually fallen in love.

His death…his poisoning at the hands of a former ally, It still pained her, but more importantly, it had angered many high ranked masters, men and women interested in taking Fehl as **their** apprentice.

Avaryss did not doubt that at least a few of them still desired revenge upon her, blaming her for his death.

After all, she certainly did.

If her master was concerned, he did not show it, her worries brought a sneer to his face.

"You need not worry about that. Yes, some may still hold a grudge, but for the most part, my fellow lords are far more practical than they appear. The boy had talent, no one doubts that, but the manner of his death also proved his weakness. If he could be destroyed so easily, then he certainly was not worthy of taking his place among us. I don't need to remind you that _you _nearly died during that incident, but in spite of the best efforts of your enemies, you not only survived, but grew stronger. The fact that you excelled is the whole point, apprentice. The boy is dead and gone, forgotten. You are still here and growing stronger with each passing day."

Feer placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You should be proud, my child. By surviving such and ordeal, you have proved your worthiness, you deserve to be here. You must never forget that."

His words warmed her, and in spite of herself, she felt a slight glow of affection, his comment was appreciated.

_Never forget,_ the part of that still held a grudge against him, murmured. _Do not fall for his tricks. He murdered your family; he must still answer for that one day._

She had not forgotten, or forgiven, but for now it was wise to say nothing, she still needed to build her power base; he was finally offering her a chance to do that.

She smiled at him.

"You flatter me," she said.

"Flattery is cheap," he replied, "I'm simply stating a fact."

Avaryss accepted his words for what they were.

_Let him continue to look fondly on me, let his affection grow, it will only make it easier to remove him when the time comes._

They fell silent again, as the air speeder finally brought them to the gates of the Citadel in Kaas City. Once it landed, two guards approached, opening the door, Lord Feer stepped out first, before offering his hand to Avaryss. He helped her out, and the two walked arm in arm, into the gathering. They passed by a crowd of workers and free citizens watching the affair from behind a wall of guards and security barriers.

They came to see us, Avaryss realized, to get a glimpse of their masters, their gods.

The thought excited her.

They were disciples of the dark side, masters of the galaxy.

Did they not deserve to be worshipped?

They arrived to find the gathering in full swing. The main atrium of the citadel was buzzing with activity. Sith from across the Empire had gathered for this event. Servants wove in and out of the crowd as the masters of the Empire mingled and broke off to discuss business with their allies in private.

More than a few eyes looked up as the herald at the door announced the presence of Darth Feer and his apprentice. Avaryss felt a moment of self-consciousness; the greatest Sith in the galaxy were here. How did she even rank among them?

_Give it time_, her confidence murmured, _they will all see your value soon enough._

She reached out with the Force, trying to get a sense of what this gathering truly meant. When the eyes of their fellows had first fallen on her and her master, she had sensed a mix of emotions. There were many here that envied anyone who held the rank of Darth. There were also those who people who looked upon her and thought her unworthy of her master, or were jealous that he had such a woman at his side.

It was not the first time she had experienced those emotions from others. There were those people who looked upon her and did not see an apprentice, they saw only a pretty young girl; they thought her Feer's toy, his paramour that she had been taken by the dark lord simply because they shared more than a master and apprentice relationship. That he expected more than simply her loyalty and prowess on the battlefield.

Lord Feer said nothing to discourage such thoughts. It serves our purpose if they don't see you as a threat, my child, he had told her once.

On a personal level, such reactions disgusted her. Like she would ever soil herself by allowing Lord Feer to take such liberties? She had taken a lover once, one who had truly been worthy of her, since his end she felt no need to take another.

After knowing the love of a man like Fehl, fantasizing had been enough to slake any physical desires that she felt.

Yes, she could feel the emotions of their peers, Sith did little to hide their feelings, but there was more; a simmering sensation that burned beneath all the surface emotions so brightly on display. It…it felt like a fire about to explode.

The sensation almost took her breath away.

It was resentment in its purest form, a disdain that seemed to blanket the gathering. Many of the lords gathered here looked up and saw enemies sharing the room with them this night. The desire to strike out at those enemies, to feed that animosity was strong. All it would take was one little push and the neutrality of the gathering would be abandoned.

She shivered.

In that moment, the greatest lords of the Empire would rip themselves apart in a frenzy of fire and retribution. If that happened, the Empire itself might end this night.

That realization, how close the Sith danced to the edge of their own destruction caught the young Sith completely off guard.

Foolish, she thought, we have real enemies, the Republic, the Jedi; we should be focusing our destructive energies on them, not directing them at our fellows. Power games happened in the Empire, everyone knows that, but the animosity; that must be held in check.

How can we master the galaxy if we cannot master ourselves?

We must be strong, and willing to put the Empire's needs ahead of our own, for all our sakes, at least until the Jedi and the Republic is defeated…

…then we can turn our attention to who is the strongest here. It will come in time, but not now, not right now.

We must remember that we are all Sith.

She shook her head.

It was easier said than done.

As the two made their way into the gathering, Avaryss' eyes wandered over the various lords in attendance. Some she knew on sight, having acted as go-between with them, and her master, others she knew by reputation only. She spotted several dark council members surrounded by their entourages; the lesser lords flocked around them like moths drawn to a flame.

She shook her head.

It seemed that the entire empire was here, that the full might of the Sith order was on display…

…all save one.

In the center of a high walkway, overlooking the proceedings, sat a high backed empty throne. Impossible to reach from this level the two connected walkways were protected by two pairs of guards in crimson armor and helms, force pikes held at the ready if anyone proved foolish enough to attempt to make their way towards the vacant throne.

Avaryss pursed her lips.

In the six months she had lived here, she had never gotten a chance to see the Emperor, not even in passing. Many times she had looked up at that walkway while running errands here for her master, and always the throne had sat vacant.

She had hoped the gathering would have been enough to draw the master of them all out of seclusion. It was said that no one had seen the Sith Emperor in years.

The fear of him remained strong, you could feel it whenever someone looked up and saw that throne, but at the same time, the fact that it remained empty also fueled ambitions. Sith were nothing if not opportunistic.

A vacant throne was just waiting for someone to sit in it. It gave people ideas.

She could not help it. She found herself imagining what it would be like to be up there. How it would feel to sit up there, and look down on the lords of the Sith, and know, beyond a shadow of a doubt that she stood above them all.

An Empire cannot survive on its own, the dark side whispered, it cannot live by council rule alone, it takes an Emperor to rule an Empire…

…or, perhaps, an Empress.

"Does the throne suit you, apprentice," Lord Feer asked dryly, "Does the crown fit just right on your regal head?"

Avaryss blushed and looked away, a wave of fear washed over her.

Technically what she had just done was commit treason. To even imagine taking the Emperor's place…

"Master, forgive me," she said bowing her head in shame, "I didn't mean…"

Darth Feer laughed.

"Relax, Apprentice, our master does not send the Emperor's Wrath to behead apprentices who imagine what it would like to be him. If he did, there would be very few Sith Lords."

The dark lord smirked.

"We've all imagined what it would be like to sit up there, to ride in the saddle of our great Empire."

"But the Emperor is beyond us," she said, "He is immortal, and all knowing."

"So it is said," Feer agreed, "But at the same time, he is also absent, and has been absent for quite some time. Even his voice has fallen silent; we have not had an Emperor's Voice address us in quite some time."

Avaryss nodded, she had heard of the Voice of the Emperor, it was a title passed to a Sith who was chosen to speak for the Emperor in all things, but as Lord Feer had said, the title had remained vacant, or at the very least, the Voice had not stood in their presence for a long time.

Darth Feer shook his head.

"The Emperor guided us well for over thirteen hundred years, but, in the end, he could not deliver the Republic into our hands, and now, he has fallen silent, and that silence has left a vacuum. It is a vacuum that we all feel, nature abhors a vacuum. It is only a matter of time until someone steps up and tries to fill it."

Avaryss thought about that. She had been raised a patriot, to love the Empire and the Emperor that ruled over them all. As both an overseer's daughter, and a free citizen of the Empire, she had been taught to love the Emperor and the Empire since the cradle.

The thought of opposing him, much less trying to replace him, it went against everything she had ever been taught!

You are not that simple girl anymore, the dark side whispered, you are Sith; it is your duty to rise. If those above you show weakness, you must be ready to strike them down. If they have weakness, then they are not worthy of leadership.

It is your duty to try and replace them, no matter how high they sit…even if they sit on the Imperial Throne.

It was a frightening thought, but at the same time, intriguing.

As she contemplated her future, she looked up and saw other lords approaching them. She recognized a few of them from holo-communications that her master had had in the last few months.

He put a hand on her arm, and squeezed it tightly.

"Say nothing of Tatooine," he murmured, "Or what you recovered there."

Avaryss nodded.

Yes, it would be wise to keep such a thing secret, at least until they knew exactly what they had. War Master Feore was working to thaw the prisoner, and begin his interrogation, not an easy thing apparently; the pubs had been vicious in trying to extract their own answers. The boy's heart has stopped twice after his removal from the carbonite.

They needed to be careful.

They could not afford to lose what they had gained.

"**FEER!"**

The Sith that had called out did nothing to hide his contempt. He said her master's name like it was a curse. She started to move in front of him, ready to defend him with her lightsaber if she needed to.

Feer stopped her with a gentle touch on the arm, he stepped forward grinning.

"Lord Terrog," he said, "How nice to see you again. It has been far too long."

Darth Terrog stepped up and glared down upon her master.

Avaryss felt a twinge of fear.

She had not seen Lord Terrog until this moment. She knew he ruled a system neighboring Lord Feer's holdings, and that he was supposedly an expert in both Sith Alchemy, and cybernetics.

Seeing him for the first time, it made her question her master's wisdom of opposing such a…a brute.

It was the only word she could think of to describe the monstrous dark lord.

He stood head and shoulders over the tallest Sith in the room. He had both massive shoulders and a thick neck. Muscles bulged in his arms beneath his Sith robes.

He looks more like a warrior or a marauder than a scientist, she thought. Of course, knowing what she knew of Sith Alchemy, it was possible that his physique was more the result of his experiments than actual work. The dark side had been used to turn even the smallest and most gentle creature into ravening monsters, maybe that is what had happened to Lord Terrog.

The dark lord's face was mostly hidden by a hood, but what she could see horrified her. His lips were mostly gone, cybernetic wires and implants ran up his forehead and down his jaw. His eyes had been replaced with two optics that resembled two large silver coins. If you looked just right, you could see your distorted reflection looking back at you from those eyes.

She shuddered.

The spoils of war, she thought, many Sith on Dromund Kaas had become more machine than man thanks to the last battle with the Republic, replaced limbs, eyes and ears were quite common among the members of the order. In seeking to survive, most Sith had eagerly accepted the change, even though it did leave them looking quite…unusual.

We do what we must to survive, she thought, are you really so different from anyone here?

Avaryss' hand went to her ears, she wore sonic bafflers in them to help compensate for her over-sensitivity to loud sounds, the result of surviving a Sith Interrogation on Korriban. The medical droids had offered to remove her ears and replace them with cybernetics, but she had refused.

Call it vanity, perhaps, but she unleashed wanted to try and stay human.

Terrog, apparently, did not have that desire.

Her master continued to smile as he looked up at the dark lord. Though his face showed little emotion, she could feel the anger and dislike radiating off the massive cyborg.

Terrog crossed his arms over his massive chest.

"You sicced Darth Baras on me," he growled, "that was unwise of you, unwise and dishonorable."

"Did I" Lord Feer said innocently, "Oh I have been a busy boy haven't I."

He laughed dismissively.

""We both have our desires Terrog. Mine is to oversee the glory of our empire. Yours is to find bigger and better bugs to kill our enemies with. You speak of honor, but I see little honor in creating a virus and then using it to kill every living thing on a planet."

Terrog's interest in viral weaponry was well known. Avaryss had heard stories from her master.

Not the way she would choose to fight, but you went with what worked, didn't you?

If Terrog took offense, he did not show it.

He stood taller.

"My children do not simply kill, they help evolve. What is strong enough to survive is left change, and more dangerous than what it was before. Life exists to serve the will the Sith, what I do is merely take that idea to its next logical step."

It was then that his eyes, or rather his optics fell upon Avaryss. She did her best not to quail under his strange regard.

"So…this is your new apprentice, tiny thing, isn't she?"

"Great power can be held in small packages," Feer countered.

Terrog made a sound that might have been a laugh.

"I see no power," he replied, "Only raw potential, Korriban does not go far enough in preparing our acolytes for what comes next. True apprentices are not simply trained, they are created. The dark side offers many gifts, we should insist that our young people accept them."

"Yes," Feer said nodding, "I can see the gifts the dark side has given you, old man. Yet, I see no apprentice at your side. What is the matter having trouble finding one?"

Again Terrog made the laughing sound.

"My new apprentice is not quite ready," he admitted, "He is still…evolving, when I do unleash him, the entire Empire will finally see the value of my work. They will see it, and they will tremble."

Terrog took a step forward.

"You would be wise to stay out of my way Feer. What is mine will never be yours. I'm not weak like that fool Daverus."

His large hand began to drift to his belt, to the lightsaber hanging there.

"Perhaps you need a demonstration, a reminder of your place."

Darth Feer began to reach for his own weapon, Avaryss stood back unsure of what to do, her hand drifted to her own blade, just in case.

She need not have worried.

The tension between the two rivals had more than drawn attention, the crowd parted for three Dark Lords, three council members.

They made straight for them.

"TERROG! FEER! YOU WILL STOP THIS AT ONCE!"

Avaryss' eyes fell on the speaker, a tall dark lord wearing a full mask and heavy cloak, he radiated the power of the dark side, power that she had only experienced in her most dizzy of day dreams.

Her master smiled as he regarded the newcomer.

"Hello, Lord Marr, pay us no mind, we were simply…conversing.

Darth Marr sighed, Avaryss could not see his face, but she did not need to, she could sense his anger at these two lords that had almost caused a disruption of the gathering.

"We all agreed to neutrality this night," Marr reminded him, "We are all here as a show of unified strength."

He took step towards both of them.

"Your rivalry can keep until tomorrow, for now, honor the truce, or face the consequences."

Both Terrog and Feer looked at one another, you could feel the tension that still remained, but finally, both men nodded and stood down.

"I honor the truce," Terrog said bowing slightly.

"As do I," Feer replied.

Darth Marr nodded.

Avaryss felt satisfaction, but also a slight sense of disappointment, clearly Lord Marr would have preferred to punish one or both of the offenders. He…

His eyes fell on Avaryss.

For the first time, she felt the full attention of a dark council member.

It was…unnerving.

"I know you girl," he said, "Or of your, at least, you are the one from Korriban, the poisoner."

He crossed his arms, she could sense the glare beneath that mask.

"By what right do you think yourself worthy to stand among us?"

Avaryss winced.

All eyes were upon her now, not just Lord Terrog and Lord Feer, but many of the others in attendance as well.

Not how she planned to make the acquaintance of a member of the Dark Council.

No, this was not good at all.

She took deep breath.

Hopefully, this would not be…unpleasant.


	6. Allies

**Chapter 6: Allies**

She stood before the dark council member, a predator caught by a much larger one. It felt like all eyes were suddenly on her, the entire gathering had seemed to have stopped.

To say that she felt intimidated, would have been an understatement.

_Show no fear,_ she thought_, show fear before Lord Marr, and your days among the Sith will be over before they even have a chance to begin._

She could have knelt she supposed, as a dark council member, Darth Marr would have expected it, but at the same time he had insulted her, questioned her reason for even being here…

Anger would not serve; she was smart enough to know that. Defiance would be equally useless. Even if she explained what had truly happened with Fehl; it would look like she was making excuses.

No, she had to try something else…grim acceptance, perhaps try to turn things around on the Dark Lord?

It could work, but it could also blow up in her face!

_I can't afford to show fear, but I can't back down either, not if I want the other lords to ever take me seriously again._

She managed a weak smile.

Well, she thought, here goes nothing.

"And I know **you**, Lord Councilor," she began, "Particularly, your victory over Lord Hecaetus, an impressive coup to be sure."

That comment stopped Lord Marr in his tracks. No doubt, he expected her to stammer and try to defend herself.

Now, she had forced _him_ to explain himself, or the very least seek a more reasoned explanation from her.

It was a gamble mentioning one of Marr's old rivals, but Hecaetus' work had saved her during a difficult period in her training.

Perhaps his name would save her now.

If anything else, mentioning him gave Darth Marr pause.

"Hecaetus," he murmured, "There is name I've not heard for a long time. Where did _you_ hear it, I wonder? You would have been an infant when that battle occurred?"

She bowed her head slightly, in submission; he was still a dark council member after all. Offering, some submission before one of the twelve most powerful Sith in the Empire was never a bad idea.

"I was educated by one of Lord Hecaetus' students for a time," she explained, "He taught me much about the Lord's history, his work, and finally his death."

Air hissed out of Lord Marr's mask, it was not a good sound.

"I see. So you are one of Hecaetus' disciples then? You are one of those few Sith trying to keep his name and work alive."

Marr stepped forward.

"Tell me, youngster, how do you feel standing before the man who slew your master?"

"As you said, my lord, I never knew the man. It is impossible for me to blame or condemn the actions of one taken in the past. It is not Lord Hecaetus I choose to honor; it is his work, his ideas of how we should deal with the Jedi."

She let her smile become more sly, more seductive.

"There are many weak Jedi out there, just waiting to find their way to our side. It works to our advantage to bolster our numbers with them; even if they are unworthy of joining the ranks of the lords. They would still have their uses as cannon fodder, I suppose."

She gave Lord Marr a hungry look.

"You were Lord Hecaetus' superior, and for his attempt to oppose you, you destroyed him, that is the way of the Sith. You die, then you are forgotten, but ideas, they should have more staying power. I do not believe that his work should be forgotten out of turn. Had he chosen to ally with you, rather than opposing you, the two of you could have gone far. Why do _**I**_ belong here, you ask? Because I would see his work, _**my**_ work turned to your service, yours and the rest of the dark council. It is for the good of the Empire that I seek to serve, and by serving well, my star will grow, and greater power will be brought into my orbit."

She bowed slightly then.

"I only wish to serve, and to increase my own powers, of course. Should I expect anything less?"

Darth Marr did not respond right away. She sensed that she had thrown him off slightly with both her admission and her argument. Admitting she had great respect for one of his late rivals did carry some risk, but at the same time, she had tried to turn it around into a matter of serving the Empire, a matter that was never a crime, not before a member of the dark council.

She could almost hear the wheels turning in the dark lord's head. He was evaluating what he had just heard, and trying to sense any deception on her part. In this, he would find none.

She had spoken honestly, from her heart. She had let her emotions guide her answer as well as her will and intelligence. Hopefully Lord Marr would appreciate that.

"Hm," she heard him murmur softly, finally he turned to her master; Darth Feer had remained quiet, watching the exchange with interest.

It was to him that the councilor turned his attention first.

"I think I like this one, Feer," he said, "She is a vast improvement over your previous apprentices."

Lord Feer chuckled dismissively.

"Avaryss was a gemstone in the rough, Lord Marr. Had I not scooped her up, another Darth would have. She will serve us well in the years to come, the dark side willing."

"Indeed," Marr said, turning his attention back to Avaryss.

"You are not wrong, youngster. Had Hecaetus came to me as an ally, and not used his work as bludgeon to try and replace me; he would have found a willing ally. The mistake was in the man, not the message."

He stepped in closer then, so only she and perhaps Darth Feer could hear.

"If you seek to know more about Hecaetus, if you truly wish to follow his work, you should contact me after your training is done, much of my old rival's records and research tools fell into my hands after his fall. You may find these materials…most interesting."

Avaryss bowed slightly.

"You honor me, Lord Councilor; I shall endeavor to do just that, after my training is complete."

He gave her one final nod before turning his attention back to the gathering; the other council members that followed him did the same. Darth Terrog, who had also remained close by, sniffed and retreated, any chance of gaining the advantage over his rival having vanished with the Dark Council's scrutiny.

It is not over, Avaryss realized with a frown, if anything Lord Terrog will increase his efforts against House Feer. Lord Marr may have blocked him, but it is us that will take the blame.

She watched as the cyborg wove his way back into the crowd.

I think the rivalry between Feer and Terrog just went one beyond being a simple clash between two dark lords. A vendetta has been born tonight.

We will need to move cautiously.

Darth Feer smirked as he regarded her, he had stayed out of her confrontation with Lord Marr; perhaps he would be angry that she took it upon herself to deal with the Dark Council member.

She bowed her head.

"My apologies, my master," she said, "I did not mean to speak out of turn."

"No apology is necessary, apprentice. You took your first step into a much larger world with that conversation. You have both gained Darth Marr's attention, and dismissed his concerns about your being here. In time he may grow suspicious of your motives, but for now, you have bought yourself some breathing room, and at the same time garnered the interest of several other council members as well."

"The men with Lord Marr?"

Her master nodded.

"Lord Mortis and Lord Vengean, Vengean has an interest in taking the Empire back into open war again, corrupting enemy Jedi may prove useful in that goal. Mortis has voted with Marr in the past, so we may have gained two allies here, rather than one."

Her master was beaming with pride.

"The real success here was Vengean. He was Darth Baras' master, and considering your encounter on Tatooine. The old master may do much to curb his apprentice's ire, at least until we are ready to face it."

Avaryss nodded.

She had not forgotten her encounter with Baras' man on Tatooine, she was not sure if the man had survived the explosion, but if he had; then Lord Baras knew what had happened, and now had another reason to oppose Darth Feer and his interests.

She smiled slightly.

So the great game continued plots and plans, moves and counter moves. It was enough to frighten the unwary, but in that moment Avaryss felt very much alive. She felt like they were walking a tight rope with enemies on both sides willing to shake that robe at the merest provocation.

They did live in interesting times, they were most fortunate indeed.

It was at that moment that they were joined by Lady Synestra and Young Master Bael. Both were clad in fine blue and black robes, bearing the sigil of House Feer. Her master's son looked bored by the proceedings, not truly grasping what was going on around them. His mother was not as foolish. The lady of House Feer had a concerned look on her face.

"What was that about, my love?" she inquired, "I saw Lord Marr leaving you just now."

Her master gave her a winning smile.

"The Lord Councilor decided to try and test my apprentice. It was a test that she passed with flying colors."

Synestra regarded Avaryss with a cool look. It was clear that she did not like the idea of her husband's apprentice garnering the positive attention of a dark council member.

Avaryss just avoided sneering at the other woman.

She would have been happier if it had been her son, no doubt, of course, she doubted that Bael would have been able to work his way around Darth Marr's contempt, she did not believe him smart enough to turn what had been said to his advantage. He likely would have tried to confront the Dark Lord, which would have ended poorly for young Bael, fatally, if he had truly been unlucky.

Oh well, Avaryss thought, it was a pleasant thing to consider at least.

"Was there anything else," the lady asked.

"Terrog was here," Lord Feer admitted, "He knows that it was I that put Baras on to him. He was not pleased, but was unwilling to violate the truce over it."

Bael grinned manically, excited by the potential for violence that was in the air.

"It is a shame that I was not at your side father," he said fingering the short war blade at his belt, "I would have given that cyborg a new red smile from ear to ear."

Avaryss rolled her eyes.

"And in doing so you would have violated the truce and made House Feer a pariah, if Darth Terrog did not kill you first for merely attempting such a foolish move."

she shook her head.

"Do not be an idiot!"

Bael's eyes widened, his cheeks began to turn red and anger flashed in his eyes.

"How dare you speak to me that way," he spat.

"I was merely speaking the truth," Avaryss shrugged, "Is that so wrong?"

He glared at her, looked like he might lunge at her.

He turned to his mother, who was already pinning Avaryss with a disapproving gaze.

"She cannot talk that way to me, mother. I will be the lord of House Feer, one day. She cannot talk to me that way!"

Unsurprising, the mother took the side of the son in this argument.

"No, she cannot, you are quite right, my son."

Bael grinned triumphantly, while Synestra Feer continued to glare at Avaryss.

She turned to her husband.

"Are you going to let her speak that way to our son?" she demanded, "It is not her place to speak so, not to her betters."

Feer gave Avaryss a cold look.

"My wife is right, apprentice; you should not speak that way to Bael."

Though she seethed inside, Avaryss bowed her head in submission.

"Yes, master, I…forgive my insolence, master."

"You should not have spoken that way to my son," he repeated, but then turned his attention to his wife.

"But as _his_ master, _you_ should have."

The rebuke stopped the lady in her tracks. It killed any satisfaction she felt at her husband's rebuke of his apprentice.

"My sweet?" she said.

Feer regarded them both with barely contained rage.

"When we agreed that you would train our son in the ways of the dark side, you assured me that you were more than capable of doing so."

"I am," Synestra replied.

"Then why does my apprentice need to correct him? Even hinting at violence here is foolish, bordering on stupidity."

He glared at Bael, who at least had the brains to be afraid in that moment.

"You are my son, the son of a Darth of the Sith Empire. You cannot afford to behave like a blood thirsty fool. Our enemies are all around us, one false step, and we will fall into nothingness, despite all of my hard work."

He reached out and took his son by the chin. Bael did not resist, if anything he looked like he was about to cry.

"You have my blood, and the potential to be greater than even I, but you need to learn to control yourself."

He once again turned to his wife, her expression turned stony; clearly she did not like being called insufficient in her duties.

"Soon our son will be old enough to be sent to the Academy on Korriban. You know how difficult the trials there are. He will not be able to hide behind your skirts, not when threatened in the Valley of the Dark Lords."

"He will not need to," she said.

"I'm strong, father," Bael said quickly, but any further argument was stopped by the cold look in Lord Feer's eyes.

The boy quailed under that gaze, which only insulted his father more.

"Then prove it to me," he said looking at his son, who was now glaring at both his father and his apprentice sullenly.

He is not ready, Avaryss thought. She knew what it took to survive on Korriban. She knew it because she had done so.

Bael was not ready, she was not sure he would ever be ready.

Darth Feer sighed and shook his head.

"Now is not the time for this, we still need to make a good impression, and this house **will** make a good impression."

He looked at them all in turn, the members of his loyal house.

"Do you all understand me?"

The nodded, murmured in the affirmative.

"Do you all, **understand** me?" he repeated, anger rising in his voice.

"Yes," Avaryss said, her head bowed. She heard her master's wife and son do the same.

Finally, Feer's smile returned.

"Excellent," he said grinning, ""Now, go and mingle all of you, make contacts and allies. We have a lot of work to do this evening."

His smile widened.

"The power of this house **must** grow."

Avaryss left his side, while Bael followed his mother off into the opposite side of the crowd. Looking triumphant, her master made to where the other Darths had gathered, the last Avaryss saw of him he was talking with Darth Thanaton and Darth Scotia of the Pyramid of Knowledge.

Powerful people all, Avaryss thought.

My master is not wrong we need to continue to build alliances; we have much prestige, our lord being master of two full star systems. If we are to make it three, we will need support.

She frowned.

Darth Terrog did not seem the type of Sith that would fall easily. That meant they would need contacts. They required people to support them when they made their move.

She needed to play a part in that move.

If it was her intent to take Feer's place one day, she had to have some role in the downfall of their enemies. Their allies had to see her as a necessary part of that victory; otherwise they would never take orders from her when she finally came into her lordship.

It was not enough to simply be her master's enforcer, she needed to accomplish things herself; she needed to make a splash.

She found herself moving among what some Sith might call, the lesser lords, no one would dare call them that to their faces, but it was known.

Most of the Sith she was around now were self-made Sith. Those that had fought their way up through the Fury Academies, and found glory in the army or in the intelligence service. These lords had impressed enough people that they earned the right to call themselves lords of the Sith without having the connections to take the next step. Many in her master's circle would have thought these people unworthy of playing a part in the games of the high lords, Avaryss was not among them.

She did not feel that she was better than these people, in fact her own origin mirrored their own, the only reason she was not among them now was because of Darth Feer's sponsorship and patronage during her student years.

She could just have easily ended up being considered a lesser lord as well.

Perhaps that was why she went among them now. She knew what ambition could accomplish if given the chance. Many of these were resourceful and courageous, they needed to be to survive and excel. The foolish would have been culled from their ranks long ago. These Sith had survived on merit alone, not because they had an old or well-known name.

They were hungry; she could feel it, now she just needed to find the right ones. One's willing to come over to her side. She…

Avaryss stopped.

She felt something, a presence she had not felt in a while.

She grinned.

She had hoped to renew this particular acquaintance.

She made her way through the crowd, these lesser Sith parting when they saw the house symbol on her robes.

It was not hard to find the one she sought, their history had linked them through the Force, and such a link was not easily broken.

She found them near back of the gathering, though dressed well, it was clear the family standing before her was not from one of the many old or powerful houses. The man was dark skinned with a fine goatee. Though he was approaching middle age, he still cut a handsome figure, his dark eyes and smile were welcoming, the long practiced smile of a good merchant.

His wife was both cool and beautiful, though her blonde hair was now dusted with gray, she did not appear either weak or infirm. Her features, though beautiful looked like they had been cut from some fine stone, her blue eyes were frigid, taking in but not letting anything out.

That gaze was pitiless, and given the strength of the Force radiating off her, she was guessing that many a Jedi had perished looking into the cold blue eyes. A double bladed lightsaber was clipped to the sash of the woman's gown.

Extremely familiar features, Avaryss realized, the only difference was how this woman felt in the Force, she was clearly a disciple of the dark side, while the one that Avaryss sought had somewhat more…conflicted leanings.

Avaryss grinned.

There she was.

Through the Force, she still felt like a thunderstorm coming on a bright summer day. The dark clouds were there, but also rays of light shining through the shadows. Her blonde hair was cut shorter than Avaryss remembered, but the same heart shaped face, and mouth always ready to burst into a smile remained.

The girl's large blue eyes found her as she approached. Avaryss had kept her presence in the Force, small, not wanting to draw attention until she was far closer.

She did not wish the other girl to make a scene, and she might have, given their history.

When she did finally let it expand, let it touch the other girl's senses, her old ally raised her head and smiled.

Her friend's eyes lit up when she sensed her presence.

Avaryss grinned back.

It had been some time.

"Avy?" the blonde woman asked.

Avaryss chuckled.

"Hello, Taya," she responded.

"It has been some time."

_**"AVY!"**_

Taya, her ally and fellow Sith, squealed with delight and hugged her.

Avaryss was grateful that the crowd was so large.

She hoped none of the senior Sith saw her being crushed by her old ally.

She doubted they would understand.

It was a rare thing for a Sith to take a friend. Most considered friendship just another chain, a means to be controlled. Avaryss had come to accept the fact that she had found a friend in Taya. If it was a chain so be it.

Such a chain had advantages in being worn; the girl was from a wealthy family with many connections.

She could endure the stigma of having a friend in the face of that.

The other lords paid the two girls no mind; they probably thought it foolish that one of their own would show her emotions so openly. It was a risk; it was showing a possible weakness.

Avaryss would have explained that to her old ally if she let her breathe!

When Taya finally broke their embrace she was grinning widely, she might even have had tears in her eyes.

"Avy! Oh Avy! Praise the Emperor! You are alright! You are here!"

"So it seems," Avaryss replied smiling, she looked up noticing the looks from the people that could only be Taya's parents.

Perhaps it would be a good idea to bring them into this.

"You should introduce me, Tay," she said, "We are starting to get looks."

The blonde nodded, blushing, her happiness flooding the Force.

Avaryss rolled her eyes.

Somethings did not change.

She had always considered Taya a light-leaning Sith, though there was darkness in her, it was clear that the simple acquisition of power was not her driving motivation. She could be as loyal as a Wookie if she found someone she thought was worthy of it, and as luck and the Force should have it, she considered Avaryss worthy.

It had worked out quite well when Avaryss had been badly wounded during her time on Korriban. Taya's aid had been useful in staying one step ahead of those that would have done her harm.

She would always be grateful for that.

Of course, it was not loyalty alone that drove her, Avaryss realized, she could sense it, now that she knew to look for it.

She almost frowned.

Taya was in love with her. She could sense it radiating through the Force. She was not sure when and how it had happened, but the other girl fallen hard for old ally. Avaryss was still not sure what she was going to do about it, but in the meantime, Taya's connections would prove most useful to her and her master.

She was determined to make use of them.

"Mother, Father," Taya said smiling brightly, "I would like you to meet, Avaryss, the one who helped me get through both Butcher's Clearing and Korriban."

Avaryss bowed slightly.

"My lord, my lady," Avaryss said to each in turn.

Taya's father grinned and held out his hand.

"So…you are Avy, we've heard a lot about you from our little girl."

"Good things, I hope?"

"Indeed," the man replied.

Avaryss reached out to take his hand, but rather than shake it, he gently pulled her hand to his lips and kissed her chastely on the knuckles.

"I'm Baron Ryn Dresco, merchant, entrepreneur, and loyal husband to this force of nature behind me."

Taya's mother gave him a sly grin.

"Force of nature?" she purred.

"I've seen you fight, love," he replied, "If that is not like watching a storm fall on someone, I do not know what is?"

His wife nodded, pleased by her husband's remark.

She turned to face her daughter's friend and ally.

"I am Lady Tazia Dresco," she said, "My daughter has told us much and more about your adventures together. It seems we owe you much for keeping her safe."

"She shielded me as well, during a very bad time, during my training," Avaryss admitted, "I would be foolish not to acknowledge that."

"Yes, we heard about the injuries you suffered, and the death of your paramour, we are both sorry."

Avaryss was taken aback, most people did not acknowledge her relationship with Fehl, and if they did, they viewed it as a mistake, her mistake.

"Thank you," she said nodding, "We…we loved each other. We were going to get married."

Lady Tazia hissed under her breath.

"Had anyone taken Ryn from me, they would have suffered a most depraved and agonizing torture before I finally allowed them to die."

Taya's father smirked.

"You say the sweetest things, my love."

"I mean them; you are mine, as much as I am yours. Anyone who tries to hurt you will suffer."

She turned back to Avaryss.

"I do hope you found the culprit and made them suffer horribly before ending them?"

The younger Sith smiled evilly.

"The killer died on her knees, knowing that she had been killed by someone she considered a peasant."

"It was not the perfect revenge, but at least she suffered."

"Good," Taya's mother said nodding, pleased by her daughter's friend's answer.

She looked at Taya.

"You told me that your friend was only a first level acolyte when you met?"

"She was mother," Taya replied.

The lady frowned.

"Do you see now daughter what happens when you apply yourself. Your friend not only caught up with you, but surpassed you both in ability and opportunity. She wears the symbol of a Darth, while you serve as an apprentice to a lesser lord, a friend perhaps, but still a lesser.

Taya blushed and bowed her head.

"I passed my trials, mother. I did just as you did."

"True, but you could have been so much _**more**_ daughter! You have such potential."

Lady Tazia shook her head.

"I wanted better for you."

Taya hung her head; she was blushing furiously, affected by her mother's rebuke.

She was embarrassed by it, especially in front of her friend.

"I'm sorry, mother. I will...I will try _**harder**_ mother. I will impress my master, you will see."

Lad Tazia nodded and regarded both girls in turn.

She smiled.

"Perhaps renewing a relationship with this girl will help you progress further than you have on your own."

Taya grinned, but Avaryss felt a slight twinge of discomfort.

She was not quite sure how far Taya was willing to go, what kind of relationship her mother sought for her daughter to have.

Again, Avaryss realized she must be cautious.

Taya was a good friend, and a useful resource, the first true friend she had ever had, if she was being completely honest.

She did not want to put such a thing at risk, especially as she and her master moved forward.

Avaryss felt the Force moving around them, twisting this way and that.

Her reunion here, though not surprising, was more than it first appeared, at least, it felt that way.

She could not say why, but it seems that Taya had a part to play in their future, for good or ill. On Korriban the blonde had sworn and oath of allegiance to Avaryss citing that she had had a vision of a future where she had seen her friend emerge as a powerful lord with many followers.

Avaryss was not sure if she believed in that vision, but something was definitely happening.

She could feel it, in felt like the entire Empire was influx.

She was eager to see what she could do about it.

Warmaster Feore was still working on the boy they had pulled out of the carbonite, when he awoke, they would find out what it was that had provoked the Republic agents to treat him in such a violent fashion. Once that information was theirs the hunt would be on.

The thought excited her

_My master will send me_; she knew _how could he not? Who else could he trust with this, certainly not Bael?_

Taya's father was merchant; he knew things, if she left the empire; he might just have contacts that could aid her. She would need to check.

She spoke politely with her old friend's parents, gathering both information and a sense of who they were.

Things were happening in the Empire, who knew what might come to light when this truce ended on the morrow.

Whatever came, she was determined to be ready.

The future was moving.

She was ready to be a part of it.


	7. The Beauty Parlor

**Chapter 7: The Beauty Parlor**

"The boy has been stabilized, my lord. It was not easy, but at last…it is done."

"Well done, old friend, well done indeed," Lord Feer said clasping old Warmaster Feore on the shoulder.

The dark lord grinned triumphantly.

"Now maybe we can find out just what is so special about this one."

Avaryss looked down on the monitors, watching as two of their guards removed the young man from a kolto tank.

She hated to admit, but she felt sorry for him.

What was coming soon for him would not be pleasant.

Three days had passed since the gathering, and in that time, Lord Terrog had struck back hard at Feer holdings. Several of their interests here on Dromund Kaas had been disrupted. Key agents among the imperial hierarchy had been eliminated.

Clever cyborg, Avaryss thought, he was smart enough not to make a direct assault, not one that they could hold up as evidence and could take to the Dark Council. He had wisely used pawns that could be discarded or eliminated quite easily, everyone in House Feer knew who was responsible, but they had nothing to accuse of him, nothing they could take to the Dark Council.

All the brazen power plays on Dromund Kaas of late had made the council quite nervous. So many games were playing out, with little caution or thought to what would happen if they played out all at once, no one was exactly sure what was happening.

Through the Force, a sense of dread and doom had settled over the capital. Everyone could feel it, from the highest lord to the lowest hopeful, and yet, no one did anything to try to hold the lords back, they continued their games in spite of the unpleasant truths that were swirling around them. The gathering had done little to curb the cycles of revenge that were playing out all across the capital.

The Emperor might have been able to convince the lords to stand down, yet once again, the throne remained silent. No word or directive came down from on high.

The Sith Lords were on their own.

House Feer was just one of many Houses embroiled in its own rivalries. Of course they were the only ones who had managed to retrieve the mysterious prize from that Republic safe house on Tatooine. They knew that both Darth Terrog and Darth Baras had sought to acquire the boy, though little more beyond that.

_Why everyone was hunting him, and why the Republic thought him so important that their agents had tortured him for twelve hours none could say. Only __**he**__ could tell them that._

And right now, there was a debate going on, no one was sure exactly how to proceed.

All of the main players of House Feer had assembled to discuss the matter.

So far, they had not reached a conclusion.

"Give him to the interrogator droids, father," Bael said grinning hungrily.

"They will get us what we need."

"I must point out, young master," Feore said stoically, "The Republic men tortured this boy for hours…he gave them nothing."

Bael snorted dismissively.

"What do pubs know of extracting information," he spat with disgust, "You have spent hours putting this boy back together."

A hungry light flashed through the boy's eyes.

"Let's have some fun tearing him apart."

Avaryss did not reply, though she almost rolled her eyes. There it was again, her master's son default towards violence.

It may not serve them well here.

"Can we even be sure that this is worth our time, my love," Lady Synestra asked her husband, "I've read the reports that Avaryss retrieved. This boy is nothing; he is scum, the dirt beneath our feet…"

"And yet, the righteous Republic chose to torture him for hours for some reason," her master said rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"There is clearly more to this than we can see."

Avaryss regarded the monitors again, now free of the carbonite, their "guest" looked much younger and far more vulnerable than she had thought before.

Do not underestimate him, she thought, this one is clearly a survivor and the Force has a destiny for him, or at least a part to play. She could sense it even more strongly now that he was awake, even from several rooms away, she could feel the Force moving around him, offering many possibilities.

"The Force swirls around him," she said speaking up for the first time, "Given everything that is happening, we must proceed with caution."

She looked at her master.

"Even the dimmest of Hopeful would be able to sense that this boy is more than he appears. You can feel it, even from here."

Synestra sniffed at her comment.

"Swirling Force is sometimes just that, girl. It is swirling Force. If the boy knows something, then our interrogator droids will dig it out, and if that proves ineffective, the Force offers many gifts in the field of extracting information."

Avaryss nodded, she knew that to be true, but she had read the same reports her master's wife had.

Early on in the boy's interrogation the Jedi had been involved, apparently a knight had been present when he was taken, and had tried Force persuasion to get the young thief to talk. It had proven ineffective, the boy was too strong willed. If he remained so after hours of torture and being frozen alive, she could not say.

The dark side was powerful, possibly limitless, but the Sith themselves were not…not yet.

"I do not deny what you are saying, Milady. I only think that we should not risk destroying the only leverage we possess when we are not exactly sure what we have in our hands."

"The apprentice speaks wisely, my lord and lady," Feore agreed, "Whatever we do, we should proceed with a delicate hand, if the boy still proves resistant, then we turn to stronger methods."

Still stroking his chin and pacing, Darth Feer nodded.

"I cannot deny my desire to see this matter handled quickly," he mused, "I would like nothing better than to let the droids down there tear the boy apart, and extract everything of use from him. Time is of the essence. Terrog moves against us, and no doubt even now Baras is scheming. Time is a luxury we do not possess."

Feer shook his head.

"No, I do not believe that rushing ahead is the right call. Feore and Avaryss **are **correct, we must move slowly. Terrog's agents sought this boy, and Baras was willing to risk one of his apprentices to acquire him. Baras is not the type of man who leaps into things lightly. He likely knows what value the boy has, already, or at least has an idea of why the Republic treated him as they did."

"Torture proved ineffective," Avaryss reminded him, "according to the interrogation reports, as they tortured this man, the pain just made him dig in his heels more and he became more resistant."

Bael rolled his eyes and sneered.

"If not torture, then what?" he demanded.

He glared at Avaryss.

"What you think? Do you think we should be nice to this scum? That we should be respectful and ask him to tell us what he knows? That is ridiculous!"

"Perhaps not so ridiculous, my son," Lady Synestra offered.

All conversation stopped, all eyes fell on the lady of the house.

She was smiling wickedly.

"Pain and terror are not the only weapons the dark side offers us. Sometimes what we seek can be just as easily acquired through temptation as it can through brute force."

"Perhaps," Bael agreed grudgingly, "But brute force is underrated, and far more fun."

"Fun is not what we are here for," his mother reminded him, "This is about getting what your father needs, what our house needs."

Feer smiled.

"I take it you have an idea, my darling?"

"I do husband," she answered, "The Republic dogs tried a mailed fist; that proved ineffective, perhaps what is needed now is a softer touch, a velvet glove, so to speak."

She gave Avaryss a wicked look.

"A woman's touch," she purred.

It took Avaryss a moment to grasp what the lady meant, her red eyes widened.

"No," she said flatly, "I refuse."

"You don't even know what I was going to ask," the lady said.

"I can guess," the young Sith replied, "The answer is no."

Her master looked at her.

"That does not sound like you, apprentice. Normally, you are more than eager to serve and do what is necessary."

"In battle, yes, against your enemies, of course," she said quickly, trying not to provoke her master's anger.

She did not want to do this.

She couldn't do this!

Not after Fehl…maybe not ever again.

Lady Synestra no doubt suspected the reason for her hesitation.

The older woman leapt on her weakness like a shark.

"Is the idea so repellant to you? The boy is not unattractive, and it is not like I'm…that we are asking you to do something that you have not done before."

"Yes, milady, that is not the reason for my hesitation."

"Then what is it then?" Synestra demanded, "To flirt with a young man, and lie to him. Your lady mother should have taught you to do those things long ago."

Avaryss frowned, but managed to keep her other emotions in check.

Once again, the lady of the house presumed too much. She had no idea what kind of woman Mya Lylos had been, how she had raised her eldest daughter.

Avaryss had always been more of a tomboy then a little lady. She had been her father's daughter first, definitely a daddy's girl. She had preferred riding her swoop bike and getting into trouble with Ro, over being a prim and proper lady. Pamir had been the sweet little girl in their family, her mother's pride and joy, and that had ended so well for her hadn't it?"

Avaryss eyes narrowed.

"It was not until she met Fehl that she had finally realized what it meant to be a young woman. The desires he had inspired had made her submit in ways that she had never thought possible.

I gave myself to him, she thought, but it was not like he gave me nothing in return. We shared much together in our private moments.

She immediately regretted thinking of Fehl; those emotions were strong, too strong…

The lady picked up on them immediately.

Her smile turned slyer.

"If it makes you feel any better, girl. Try to imagine the boy as your pure blood toy. I'm sure you learned quite well how to please him, before you poisoned him, of course."

Anger flashed in Avaryss eyes, her hands clenched.

She had been willing to endure much because Synestra was her master's wife. She had shrugged off the superior attitude and the snide comments about her origins. Bringing up what had happened to Fehl into this however, that was something else, something far else.

She had gone too far!

In that moment, Avaryss did not care that the lady was her master's wife. It was all she could do to keep from drawing her lightsaber and making the old witch answer for speaking of things she knew nothing about.

"Enough, Synestra," he master said, "Leave the girl alone."

The lady nodded, but never lost her triumphant smirk.

"As you wish, husband," she said, "As you wish."

"Apprentice," Lord Feer said.

His word drew her back from the building rage in her chest. She blinked and found herself back in the now again.

"Yes, my master," she said.

"Could you do it?" he asked, "Could you get this young man to give us what we need?"

She winced, but months of conditioning as his apprentice allowed her to answer.

"I could try, but this is not really my area of expertise."

He snorted with amusement.

"I'm sure that you will excel, and if you do not the usual methods of torture are still open to us. The boy will tell us what we need, one way, or the other."

Avaryss nodded, thought she seriously doubted that torture would work.

The boy would not survive, she could not say how she knew that, but she did. He would die under interrogation, and they would learn nothing.

If she succeeded however…that would be something different, something more, her master would have no reason to doubt her loyalty ever again.

There was value in that, wining that kind prestige.

Again she felt a desire to resist, to deny, rise up, but this time, she clamped down on it, hard.

The things we do for power, she thought glumly.

"I…I can get him to talk, my master," she promised, "I can get him to sing like a little bird for you."

Feer beamed at her.

"Excellent, apprentice," he exclaimed, "most excellent."

Avaryss nodded grimly.

She would do it, or at the very least she would try.

Bael was grinning like a fool again, no doubt the boy's overactive imagination was working overtime, imagining exactly what she would need to do to get their young prisoner to open up to them.

Lady Feer was smiling as she gently put her arm around Avaryss, guiding her away.

"Come with me, child," she purred, "I think the combat suit you are wearing is not…appropriate for this type of mission."

She laughed lightly.

"Fear not though, I think I can see you fully outfitted for what is to come, at the very least, you will make a good first impression."

Avaryss let herself be led away. Surprisingly she felt more worried about this then she had when standing outside that safe house in the Tatooine desert.

Battle was an arena she had come to know well, what she was about to face with the prisoner, unfamiliar surroundings.

Yes, she had learned to speak with a man, with Fehl. She doubted that this boy would react in the same way. It had been her power and grace that had first drew Fehl's attention, it had not been about flirting. She had not wiggled and giggled to get his attention. Plus, what she had Fehl had could not have been considered a courtship. Yes, they had dined together and trained together, but that had been work, everything had been about work, except when they were alone.

When they were alone…well…no one could seriously call **that **courting. It had been more like the mating of two vicious predators.

That part of her had been for Fehl, and Fehl alone, she was not eager to share it with someone else, not even for power.

Your bloodline must not end with you!

The words struck her like a slap. They sounded like they had come from Master Adaz, her teacher and mentor on Fury 9.

_You are too young and too powerful to think that you should be the last of your line. Eventually, your heart will heal, and you __**will**__ produce heirs, both for the good of your family, and the good of the Empire. I did not give you my family's sword so it could end up as some fool's trophy of war, it is for your children, and your children's, children's, children._

She could almost see the old pureblood's disapproving gaze.

_Your line must __**not **__end with you._

In spite of herself, she found that she was nodding.

What had happened to Fehl had hurt her, she could not deny that, but at the same time, she owed it to her family to build a dynasty. On Oridanna, the Lylos family line had ended with the destruction of her family, but that did not mean that it could not survive in some form. She still drew breath, and that meant that there was still a chance to ensure that her family was never just a mere footnote in the history of the Empire.

But this, what her master was asking her to do now, was not about her bloodline; it was just another mission, though how she would choose to fight would be quite different than she had on other jobs her master had asked her to carry out.

She tried not to appear sullen as Lady Feer led her away, led her off to prepare her for her meeting with the young man they had pulled from the carbonite.

What would she do to get what House Feer required? Whatever it took, she supposed.

The thought made her shudder.

Whatever it took.

IOI

Avaryss spent the next hour in Lady Synestra's private chambers. Her master's wife was bound and determined that she would look irresistible before unleashing her on their prisoner.

Avaryss once again resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

The boy was not the son of some high lord; he was a street rat from Nar Shadda.

She felt it unlikely that he would respond any better to her if she looked like some Alderannian princess.

"Never underestimate a good first impression, the lady reminded her, "It can set the stage for all other interactions."

She smiled broadly.

"He must want you, the second he lays eyes upon you, that is what you must do, that is why you are now here...

She gave Avaryss a knowing look.

"My dear husband would be most displeased if his little apprentice could not pull off such a simple seduction, oh how disappointed he will be."

She chuckled.

"Let us try not to disappoint him, shall we?"

Avaryss could sense the lady's desire to see her fail. The fact that it would hurt their house did not seem to bother her one bit.

It was the type of short sightedness that she had come to expect from Bael, at least she now knew where the boy got it from.

Once they were sealed inside her chambers, the lady of the house got to work. She summoned her personal servants and they got to work on turning Avaryss into an irresistible beauty. She was bathed and perfumed, and once that was done, one of the servants applied a small dose of make-up. They braided her dark hair and put it up in the most fashionable of styles, they painted her nails, and showed her various pieces of jewelry, icing on the cake, one of the servants called it.

Avaryss was sorely tempted to break the girl's neck. She'd ice her cake! It was only the presence of Lady Synestra that things did not turn violent. She likely would not have approved of her husband's apprentice destroying her personal servants, no matter how much they annoyed her. They fluttered around her like birds, commenting on this and that, giggling like this was all some private joke... It was all Avaryss could do to hold her temper.

And watching over it all was the Lady Synestra. She watched with a mix of curiosity and enjoyment. Clearly she was taking pleasure in Avaryss' discomfort.

The apprentice tried to not let it bother her. She tried to ignore her master's wife.

This is for the good of the house, she kept telling herself.

For my master.

As the servants worked, it gave her a chance to finally get a good look at Lady Synestra's inner sanctum. She had never been allowed up here before now, and she found herself eager to see exactly what the lady had chosen to hide from her.

The trappings of wealth were here, but that could likely be found in any high lady's chamber. She saw few books and or data pads, perhaps the lady of House Feer was not an avid reader.

The only things that she saw that hinted at what Lady Feer was truly like was a small glass case against the back wall, a case that contained no less than six lightsabers.

The sight intrigued Avaryss.

Had those blades belonged to Jedi the lady had slain? She did not strike Avaryss as much of a saber duelist. Maybe they were weapons of Sith that she had outfoxed; perhaps they were mementoes of successful coups.

Avaryss could not guess.

Besides that, she saw many holos. Most were pictures of the lady during her younger days. One even looked like it had been taken when she was Avaryss' age, in it, the lady was dressed in the garb of a second level acolyte, and if she was not mistaken, the holo had been recorded somewhere on Korriban.

Avaryss sniffed.

So the lady had graduated from the Sith Academy? Unsurprising, she supposed, but it definitely seemed unlikely.

Synestra did not carry herself like one who had struggled to earn her spot in the Empire; that may have been different years ago, but now. She had grown complacent.

Avaryss filed all this knowledge away for later.

Who knew when it would come in handy?

The only person featured in her holos more than herself, was her son. There were no less than fifteen holograms of Bael at different stages of his life, from birth until now.

A mother's love cannot be doubted, Avaryss thought, no matter how depraved the offspring. She…

She paused.

What was that?

On a table near the lady's bed, hidden behind several other holos was one showing off the entire Feer family, with one exception, or rather an addition she did not know about.

Hm.

What was this now?

The picture likely had been taken about ten years ago, Bael was only a toddler in it, a babe in his mother's arms, and standing next to the lady…was a young blonde hair girl.

Avaryss blinked.

Who was this?

She needed to use the Force to enhance her vision, to make sure what she was seeing was true, but as she looked again, she nodded slightly.

Yes, it was indeed a young girl; she looked about seven or eight years of age.

The lady must have felt Avaryss' surprise, because she addressed her almost immediately.

"What are you looking at girl?"

Avaryss smiled slightly.

"A family," she responded, "And someone that I don't recognize"

Avaryss gave the old woman a sly look.

"I did not know that you and Master Feer had a daughter.

The lady's expression remained cool, but the fire in her eyes was anything but.

"WE have no daughter," she said flatly.

"Then what is…?"

Synestra stopper her with an icy glare.

"I have no daughter," she repeated.

Avaryss nodded, very well then, still despite what her master's wife said.

She promised herself to look into it. Maybe mention it to Bael, he could be manipulated.

She would see what she would learn.

When the servants finished they retreated back into the shadows, Lady Synestra guided Avaryss to a large mirror near her bed.

The sight shocked the young apprentice.

The slender young maid staring back at her was quite attractive. Far more than Avaryss ever thought she could be. The dress robe that the servants had put her in was cut quite low in front, and even lower in the back, showing off her Sith tattoos.

Avaryss blinked, the sight…unsettled her a bit.

_I look like my mother_, the thought came unbidden, _despite possessing a few scars and the eyes of a Sith, she did indeed look like her late mother, or rather how her mother had looked when she was young, back before the stress of being married to an overseer and caring for five children had gotten to her._

Synestra looked pleased.

"You are a pretty little thing aren't you, when you try."

Avaryss shrugged dismissively.

"Beauty fades," she said flatly, "Power is eternal."

The lady laughed lightly.

"Spoken like a true graduate of Korriban," she said with amusement, "Do not be so quick to surrender your beauty to the dark side, my dear. It is a very potent weapon in itself, as you shall no doubt see in the next hour or so."

The lady grinned triumphantly.

"A lightsaber and Force persuasion is not the only way to get what you want. A kind word from a beautiful girl can do much in the right circumstances."

She leaned in close to her husband's apprentice, whispering softly in her ear.

"Never think that this house will one day be yours. I've worked too hard and too long to see it pass to anyone but my son. The day my husband falls will be the day that a new Lord Feer takes the throne, if you cooperate you will be rewarded, try to resist and you will be cast down with my dear husband."

Avaryss gave her a sly smile.

"I'm sure your loving husband would be so happy to know we've had this talk."

Synestra smirked.

"You think he is not aware of my desire to see our son advance? He knows, dear, and I'm sure he also thinks that such an occurrence is as unlikely as you ever becoming a full Lord of the Sith."

The lady laughed lightly.

"My husband did not get where he is by elevating potential rivals. You have use for him, for now, but never think that you will be anything more than a humble tool."

Avaryss shrugged.

_We will see, milady_, she thought.

_We will just see._

If Synestra picked up on that thought, she did not show it.

"Come," she said, "My lord is waiting, they should have the boy cleaned up and prepared for you by now."

She took Avaryss by the hand and let her out of her chambers.

"Do not fail, child," she said, "My lord husband would be most displeased with you, if you failed.

Avaryss nodded.

Lady Feer had nothing to worry about.

She…did not fail.


	8. The Boy

**Chapter 8: The Boy**

The guest suite where the boy was to be brought was typically reserved for visiting Sith Lords and Moffs. Darth Feer was the type of lord that never wished for her guests to be left wanting. He was more than willing to play the generous host if it ensured that his interests were looked after by those that had been his guests, after they had departed.

A gentle word and open hand could be just as useful as a clenched fist and a lightsaber. The Dark Lord understood that, and made sure that the needs of those that stayed with him were tended to.

Avaryss arrived first, accompanied by Lady Synestra; their final encounter in the lady's quarters had had a chilling effect between the two. It was clear that the lady hoped that her husband's apprentice would fail to get what they needed, and it was clear from what she had said to the young girl that she would use everything she knew to deny Avaryss the chance at advancement, that she would do all in her power to block Avaryss' advance and make sure that her son ascended to power on the day that Lord Feer finally fell.

None of this was either shocking or surprising to her. She had long suspected the lady's goals, and knew that one day she would have to take steps to stop her. For now though, she needed to remain in her master's good graces, which meant succeeding in this endeavor and getting the young boy to talk.

Whatever it takes, I must do," she thought to herself.

Whatever it takes.

Both her master and Bael had been waiting outside the suite when they arrived; both men had complimented her on her beauty before she entered. As always Avaryss could sense Bael's twisted fantasies, fantasies that now had new fuel seeing her dressed so provocatively. Her master had been more respectful, but had subtly reminded her with a harsh, and painful, squeeze of her arm that he required her to do whatever was necessary to make the boy talk.

He need not worry, she thought.

She had given up most of her inhibitions long ago, she knew what was expected of her, but at the same time was still hesitant.

What I shared with my love; it was for him and him alone.

She was not eager to offer it up to some rodent in exchange for his knowledge.

Once she was inside, the door was locked behind her. Their prisoner would be brought up within the hour, and so, for that moment, she had time to explore her surroundings and see if there was anything here that might help her carry out her mission.

The room was well decorated with the trappings of wealth, the rug, curtains and bedding were of the highest quality, and a small bar in the corner boasted only the finest liquors.

Avaryss was tempted to pour herself a drink, but decided against it.

She would need all her faculties to carry out what needed to be done.

The temperature in the room was kept quite cool, no doubt to counter the jungle heat that was the norm on Dromund Kaas. It was so cool that Avaryss was tempted to wrap a blanket around herself as she waited, the dress she was wearing left little to the imagination.

What are you doing, her inner voice growled, you are Sith, act like one, why should you be nervous about this meeting? If the boy realized who he would be meeting, then he should be the nervous one. If he does not give you what you need, you will tear it from his mind. You know spells that can turn someone's very will and soul inside out.

What street scum could dare hope to match the will of a Sith?

All these things she knew, but she could not shake the feeling that if this turned into violence, than she had failed.

No, she needed to exercise self-control.

Brute force was not always the answer.

As she waited she began to pace nervously. She felt like a predator locked in a cage, a gilded cage perhaps, but still confining. Normally before a mission she would be playing mental games, psyching herself up for what she would soon face. She would be harnessing her anger and rage until she was an unstoppable force…

Unfortunately, her rage would not aid her here. This battle would be fought under different rules.

She needed to remember that.

How am I going to play this, she wondered, she had never been the flirty type, not even with Fehl.

Would it even really be that hard, the boy was a street rat, for all she knew he had the morals of Hutt, and if he did how far would she let him go in exchange for what she needed.

As far as you need to, her master's voice seemed to whisper in her ear.

The thought made her shudder, but any fear was quickly replaced by anger.

She was no pleasure slave. She would not humble herself before this scum just because he knew something that she did not. She would try to be charming, but at the same time, remain coy. He would have nothing more than she was prepared to offer. If he did start getting fresh he would find out quickly how far above him she truly was.

I may be only an apprentice, but I'm still Sith.

No Sith would ever let themselves be taken advantage of, not when they could rip what they needed from the hands of those that tried to deny them.

She continued to pace, well aware of the hidden spy cams that had been placed throughout the suite. Warmaster Feore had warned her about those, picture, but no sound, to insure her that if things did turn violent, then the guards would be able to see and coming running if she needed help.

It was sweet of the old man to worry, but he did not need to.

If the boy did turn violent, he would be the one that suffered, not her.

A chime sounded overhead, warning her that the guards were finally bringing her mark into the chamber.

She took a deep breath and tried to center herself.

You can do this, she thought, if it starts to get hard, just think of Fehl, how he made you think, how his hands on you made you feel.

She swallowed hard, and nodded.

She could do this.

The door hissed open.

She smiled up at the two guards.

Here we go.

IOI

The two guards dragged him into the room and dumped him on the bed. He groaned weakly as they turned to leave without saying a word.

Avaryss rolled her eyes.

She reached out with the Force, determined that he was still unconscious.

Good, she thought, being man-handled by two stupid thugs would do little to make this young man cooperative.

He lay on his side, murmuring softly into the sheets. Reaching out with the Force, she gently lifted him up, and deposited him in a more comfortable position on the bed.

She took a step closer, her heart was beating loudly, she felt nervous, despite having faced far more dangerous situations than this one.

_Okay, I got him here,_ she thought.

_What __**now?**_

She would have to go over and wake him, she supposed, he could not talk if he was unconscious. She took a tentative step towards him and nearly tripped over the thick rug, Lady Synestra had insisted that she wear heels along with this ridiculous dress. She had never really been comfortable wearing anything with a high heel; she had never really mastered wearing them.

She could just imagine Bael giggling at her discomfort from wherever he was watching the monitors, unwilling to give him any more amusement she ripped off the heels and stalked over to the bed.

It was her first time getting a really good look at their prisoner.

She had to admit, up close, he was not as repellant as she feared. He might even have been considered roguishly handsome. He was black haired and had just a hint of stubble on his jaw. Though not overly muscular it was clear that he did possess some physical strength. That fact should have come as no surprise; she did not think that weaklings lasted long on the streets of Nar Shadda.

He was not her Fehl, but he was…something.

Then there was his presence in the Force, it continued to move strangely around him, which to someone who had dedicated her life to its power, was most intriguing.

What are you, she wondered, did the Force choose you in some way, or did you do something that made your presence in it so…unusual? She moved over to the bed and sat down, she did not lay down next to him, though that might be needed before all was said and done. She lifted her hand and gently touched his ear, she ran a finger around it, and then moved it down and gently touched his jaw.

She had done this many times with Fehl, though it did feel strange to being doing such a thing to someone else, especially since she had been used to feel of her love's skin, and the tendrils that all Sith pure bloods have on their jaws.

He **did** respond to her touch, sighing and leaning into it, he even smiled slightly, though he did not awaken, he did say something.

"Tia," he murmured.

Avaryss frowned.

Tia? She thought.

Who is Tia?

She reached out with the Force again, she could sense the boy's strong will, even if she had been skilled in Force persuasion, one of the few gifts the Force had not granted her, she doubted she would have been able to sway this one.

Of course, she did not need to sway him, not in that way.

Avaryss smiled.

In his weakened state, his thought and emotions were close to the surface. She could almost see the face of a young woman, a woman whose face has been brought to the forefront by her caress.

I can use this, Avaryss thought.

Not all of the spells she had learned at the Academies were lethal.

Early in her studies, she had found a book on Sith glamours, spells that, when used properly, could allow the user to disguise him or herself as an enemy's loved ones. She had studied the book religiously, and in the privacy of her chambers, experimented by casting several illusions in front of the mirror, changing her appearance.

Perhaps one of these glamours would serve her well here? If the boy would not talk to her, maybe he would talk to someone he cared about?

She grinned triumphantly.

Cunning and deception were powerful weapons of the dark side. She welcomed the chance to use them, especially if it got her what she wanted.

She murmured the spell under her breath, while at the same time reaching out with the Force, touching the young man's mind. She covered her face with her hands, and as she spoke the final incantation, brushed her palms over her face, letting the power of the dark side flow out and mask her appearance. She felt a slight tingle as the illusion covered her face, and then the rest of her.

Avaryss looked down.

She was pleased with the result.

Her pale skin had now become a light dusky orange. When she looked up over the bed and towards a mirror in the corner, she saw the features of a young Twi'lek woman. The girl's features were impishly pretty; with blue eyes so dark they almost looked black against her orange skin. The lekku, or head tails, as they were more commonly known, were thick and fleshy, lightly decorated with tattoos of flowers and vines.

Avaryss giggled.

_A most interesting disguise_, she thought, _now let's see how it __**works!**_

Now she did stretch out on the bed, once again her fingers lightly stroked the young man's jaw.

"Wake up, my darling," she purred in the Twi'lek girl's husky voice.

"We have much to talk about."

Slowly, her touch, and gentle prodding through the Force, brought the young man back to consciousness. He blinked, slowly rising from the drug induced haze that both the Republic, and Master Feore had kept him under.

When realization set in, he jerked and sat up suddenly.

Avaryss was there to make sure he did not do anything foolish.

"Easy, my love," she cooed, "Do not try to move so quickly."

The boy looked around, likely hunting for some way out, but upon seeing her next to him, he paused. Through the Force she could feel his panic waning; slowly his mind was catching up with his body.

He blinked again.

"Tia," he said shyly, "Is…Is that you?"

She laughed dismissively.

"Who else would it be, my dear, who else but your sweet Tia?"

She felt affection rise through the Force, and attraction. Clearly he was not opposed to this reunion.

Yet, quickly, perhaps far too quickly, his attention returned to his surroundings.

He snorted.

"I thought I was going to wake up dead," he said.

"You are safe," she promised him, "We are safe?"

At last his eyes focused on her, she felt suspicion rising in him.

"And where is here, exactly?" He asked.

Avaryss almost cursed under her breath.

This spell would have worked better if she had had the ability to persuade him, as it was she was forced to rely on his surface emotions, right now, they were not doing the trick.

She tried to push forward anyway. She still needed what he knew.

"I had you brought here," she said, "I could not bear to see you hurt anymore."

"Uh huh," he said dryly, a cocky smile spreading across his features, "And how did you manage to arrange that, Tia? Through your Hutt owner, I figure?"

"Of course," Avaryss said, "My master is very powerful as you know."

The boy paused; she could sense his emotions, a mixture of anger and disappointment.

He gave her a wry smile.

"Tia is **not** owned by a Hutt, sweetheart," he informed her, "She has also never called me "My love," or "My dear" before. Though she would look good in that dress you are wearing, I can't deny that.

Avaryss' eyes narrowed.

_Damn_, she thought.

She had hoped for more than this.

That was the problem with using surface emotions, they were often unclear, and they offered little insight into the way the person you were trying to copy behaved. She realized that she had made the mistake of speaking up too quickly, attempting intimacy far too soon with her subject.

I should have let him guide our conversation, she realized. She should have let him ask the questions, kept him away from anything too personal. He would have given her physical and mental cues how to fool him, but by rushing things, she had been found out, the whole ruse was ruined.

She was angry at herself, and more importantly she was angry at the boy.

Part of her wanted to strangle the life out of him, right then and there.

He did not seem to sense the danger he was in, he simply kept smiling.

_Clever boy_, she thought, _but not as clever as he thinks._

"You do look like her though," he said nodding pleasantly, "Don't suppose you could tell me how you did that, doll?"

He lay back with his hands behind his head, like he did not have a single care in the world.

Avaryss hissed under her breath.

"I'm not your doll, or a sweetheart," she said coldly.

"So," he said his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"What should I call you?"

Avaryss let the illusion drop; she had no further use for it, her true features returned, now in a mask of barely contained rage.

"I am Avaryss, but, as far as you're concerned, 'my lord' will suffice. You may also come to know me as death if you continue to speak down to me."

There was a brief moment where she felt a twinge of fear, but once again that mask of arrogance snapped back into place.

"Sith, huh?"

She nodded.

"Known a few of you types back on the Nar Shadda, there was this guy called Paley…something, got a lot of the poor in my neighborhood on his side, not as pretty as you, of course, but …

He shrugged.

I thought all you Sith-types were either red skinned aliens or giant bald human cyborgs with breathing problems."

Avaryss chuckled.

The boy was likely referring to Lord Malgus. After the sacking of Coruscant, the Empire declared Darth Malgus a hero for laying waste to the Jedi Temple, even on Oridanna his image had been circulated, the great hero of the Empire.

She was not surprised that those imagines had found their way into Hutt space.

Being Sith also explains the laser sword," he said gesturing towards the lightsaber hilt on her hip.

"Tia never carried one of those either. It doesn't really go with the dress, though."

"You would be surprised," she said with an evil grin, "It goes with everything, and those that think it doesn't are not around long enough to complain."

"I'll give you that," he said with a shrug.

"I would much rather you give me something more," she said grimly, "I have questions, and I think you have answers, mister…?"

"Rink, Thranton Rink, though my friends call me Thran."

"I'll remember that Mister Rink," she said coolly, "Now, as I said, I have questions for you."

He seemed to consider what she had said, his eyes moved quickly, looking for an escape route perhaps, not that he would find one, not here, not in the middle of the Feer Estate.

He had few options.

"I'm guessing you want to know why those goons grabbed me. Why they thought it was smarter to hurt me rather than just asking me about what they wanted to know?"

"Would you tell me," she asked with a smile, "If I asked nicely?"

"I'm willing to make a deal," he admitted, "How about you?"

She smiled at that.

The boy wanted to bargain, how interesting.

"Did you try to bargain with your captors," she inquired, "What did they say when you offered to make a deal?"

"They weren't interested," he shrugged, "I heard a few things when they took me. From what they were saying, I'm guessing what they were doing was not exactly approved by their bosses. All they wanted was their merchandise back, and once I gave it up, then I would have ended up dead in a drain pipe somewhere."

She considered what he had said. She sensed no deception in him, no more than any other rogue might possess.

So far, what he said confirmed her early suspicions, those SIS agents on Tatooine had been up to something, something that they had not wanted their Senators or Jedi friends to see.

Smiling brightly, she lay her head down across his belly. She felt him shudder slightly; she could feel his surprise through the Force.

"Um…what are you doing?"

"My master is watching us," she informed him, "I'm supposed to be seducing you, getting the information he needs, if he sees us just talking, he might start thinking that I'm failing and will send in his guards, if that happens you will likely be tortured again.

She gently ran her finger down his face.

"We would not want that now, would we?"

"I certainly wouldn't," he replied, though she could sense his discomfort, his distraction through the Force.

It was clear that he was not completely immune to her charms.

It was cute.

"This Twi'lek, Tia," she said, "You care a lot for her don't you?"

"If you are thinking of sending someone to grab her, and use her for leverage, you are wasting your time," he said, "She was taken away from Nar Shadda, even I don't know where she is."

"You misunderstand me," she said, "I'm _not_ threatening, _**not**_ yet, merely trying to get an understanding of you. Your feelings for her are quite strong."

She sighed.

"I know what it is like to lose someone you love. Someone who has come to feel like they are a part of you, to know that it doesn't matter how much you try, there is nothing you can do to bring them back."

"She is still out there, somewhere," Thranton replied.

"I'll find her again."

His determination impressed her.

Perhaps that is why he was able to stand up so long under interrogation perhaps that was why he let the Republic take him so close to the edge of death.

They were in territory that she understood now, and she had an idea of how to proceed.

It would be interesting to see if he would be open to her offer.

"What do you want, Mister Rink. If those…goons as you called them had been open to negotiation, what would you have asked for in exchange for the merchandise you took?"

"So we **are **bargaining," he said, "lying in bed with a beautiful girl is not really the usual place that one conducts business."

"The distraction works to my advantage," she replied, "But at the same time, and you can look at this as simply dealing with a "beautiful girl" and not a Sith."

She gestured, and the top two buttons of his shirt came undone. He gasped in surprise.

Avaryss giggled.

"Don't get too excited, Mister Rink, we are still putting on a show for my master, remember. Now, speak plainly, what is it that you want?"

He swallowed hard, and tried to hold onto his composure. Yet she could sense his excitement, apparently he liked powerful girls.

She would remember that for later.

As it turned out, his demands were not that extravagant, had the Republic bothered to ask, they might have avoided any unpleasantness.

"You think your boss would agree to that," he inquired.

Avaryss nodded, Mister Rink was not a greedy man, he was not some spoiled noble or government official, his demands were reasonable enough for a man in his position, and worth the risk considering the Republic's reaction.

"And what exactly was the merchandise?" she asked, "What did you take that prompted those men to torture you for twelve hours?"

He shuddered at the memory.

"That is the weird part; the thing wasn't even _**that**_ valuable."

He sighed.

"What I was doing when I got pinched. It was a scam I pulled a dozen times before with no problem. The damn thing wasn't officially owned by anyone yet, so I took it, brought proof to my fence, and all of a sudden I come home and some Jedi is pointing his laser sword at my chest."

Rink shook his head.

"When I refused to simply give it up, he turned me over to his goon squad."

_So there __**were**__ Jedi involved in this,_ Avaryss nodded, _the report had not mentioned any direct involvement from the Jedi Order only that one had tried to convince Mister Rink to return what he had stolen._

"Was the Jedi in command then?"

"He seemed to be."

"Did you get a look at his face? Did anyone mention his name?"

"He was wearing a long brown robe, the hood was up, couldn't really see anything. As far as names, I heard nothing, the goons only referred to him as Master Jedi."

Avaryss cursed under her breath.

Had the boy seen the Jedi's face, Imperial Intelligence might have managed to identify him for them. Knowing which Jedi was involved might go a long way in figuring out what this was all about.

_Master Jedi_ they had called him.

It did not mean that the Jedi had been 'a master' though. House Feer's underlings referred to her as _my lord_ despite the fact she had not earned that title yet. The Jedi could have been a Padawan for all she knew.

It was not a dead end, but this knowledge did offer more questions than answers.

"And this mysterious merchandise, it is safe?"

"I didn't give it up under interrogation," Thran said proudly, ""All I kept thinking was that if this thing is _**this**_ valuable, then Tia and I must just have a new life when this is over."

"You may indeed," Avaryss agreed, "The Sith can be generous to those who aid us. Now tell me what it is that is so important."

He smirked.

"You're going to laugh when I tell you. As I said, it wasn't even **that** valuable."

"It is to someone," she replied, "Indulge me, Mister Rink, tell me…what is it that you stole?"

He sighed and told her.

She was…surprised.

IOI

"A droid head?"

"Yes, my master," Avaryss said standing before Darth Feer, "According to Mister Rink, it was the head of a protocol droid, a new model that had just arrived on a transport. He boarded the ship. He took the head and made off with it."

Two hours had passed since Avaryss had left the suite, the boy; Thranton Rink was currently asleep, brought low by one of Avaryss' sleep spells.

It served its purpose, she thought, from what the master and his family had seen, the boy was wrapped around her little finger, a few words and a single chaste kiss on the lips had ensured the story had been sold.

Now…Avaryss had to convince her master to let her do something about it. Rink had hidden the stolen prize somewhere in his dark alleys of Nar Shadda. According to him, he would be needed to acquire it from its hiding place. If the Sith wanted it, they would need to take him back to the smuggler's moon, and from there, he would deliver what he had taken.

Avaryss _knew_ that this needed to be **her **mission.

She did not want this left in the hands of underlings.

Her master paced before her, stroking his chin thoughtfully with his right hand.

Feer shook his head, giggling to himself.

"A droid head," he repeated, "all this trouble because some street rat stole a droid head."

"Astonishing!"

The rest of House Feer clearly did not share his amusement.

"He is lying," Bael snarled, "Why would some stupid droid head be so valuable?"

"According to our prisoner," Avaryss added, "It was not the head itself that was so valuable, but the programing used in its central processing unit. All the major droid foundries right now are focusing on turning out war droids, whose programing is fairly straight forward. Secondary companies have been forced to pick up the slack in the creation of teaching and luxury droids, the one that the boy stole was apparently some high end protocol droid. He said that the programing that the head contained was worth a lot of money to the competing droid firms. He said he might quite a few credits that way."

Darth Feer nodded.

"Only this time, he stole something different, this time the droids programing held something special, something that Republic SIS was interested in, or did not want anyone else to find out about."

Her master laughed.

"I think our slicers are going to have to have a look at this droid head."

"We have agents in Hutt Space, my love," Lady Synestra said, "Avaryss can get the boy to tell us where he hid it, then we can dispose of him."

That was one way to do things, Avaryss thought, but it was not the way she wanted to do it.

"Send me, my lord," she asked, "I can keep Mister Rink under control, and once I have the droid head, I can eliminate him if he proves to be no longer useful."

"I do not think that wise, my sweet," Lady Synestra said to her husband, "Avaryss is still too new to your service, she has not been properly broken in, yet. "

The lady rose from her seat, and placed a hand on her husband's shoulder.

"The girl is not ready," she murmured, she whispered what she said next, obviously she did not wish Avaryss to hear her, but the Force allowed her to do so anyway.

"She still hates us, she still hates you." the lady said, "We cannot trust her to be out on her own."

Lord Feer tilted his head slightly, considering his lady wife's counsel.

Avaryss resisted the urge to scream.

How dare the lady say such a thing, it was true, of course, but Lord Feer did not need to know that.

This was a chance for her, both to start building a powerbase, and earn some prestige in the Empire.

"I was successful on Tatooine, master," she reminded him, "I will not stray from my mission. I will bring back this prize, just as I did the last one."

She grinned.

"Please, my lord, let me serve you."

"LET ME GO FATHER!"

Bael leapt to his feet, his eyes flashing with excitement, with eagerness.

"I will crush this scum beneath my heel, and I will bring back the droid head for you. Who better to carry this out than your son and heir?"

"Let me serve you, and there will be no failure!"

Darth Feer glanced over at his son, evaluating what he had said.

Both Avaryss and Lady Synestra frowned. Neither of them wanted this, but both had different reasons.

Avaryss did not think Bael up to the challenge, and no doubt Lady Synestra worried her darling boy would get hurt.

Finally, the Dark Lord chuckled.

"I'm sure you would make me proud, my son, but your time is not yet here. You are still your mother's student, and have not yet tasted the dangers of Korriban. I need a hardened Sith for this task.

He turned to Avaryss.

"I will send word to Kaas city; an interceptor will be prepared for your use. Take the boy with you, once he has shown you where he has hidden the droid head, you may decide for yourself if you wish to see him dispatched."

"It will be done, my lord," Avaryss said smiling.

"It will be my pleasure."

Her master stepped forward, and placed his hands on her shoulders. She restrained from her desire to shudder at his touch.

"Be mindful, my child," he warned, "No doubt the Republic still seeks what this street rat stole. They may have even gotten the Jedi involved."

Avaryss grinned hungrily.

"I have long desired to test myself against a full Jedi Knight."

"You may get your chance," he said, "But the prize comes first, just like before, and you should also be on guard for any Imperial opposition as well. Both Terrog and Baras are interested in this as well, their own agents maybe searching the smuggler's moon."

Darth Feer gave her a hungry smile.

"Make sure that no one remains to trouble the Dark Council with your search. Leave no witnesses to your passing whether they are Republic or Empire."

Her master's eyes flashed coldly.

"No witnesses," he repeated, "No mercy."

She dropped to one knee, bowing her head.

"I will bring rage and death, my master," she promised, "and there will be no failure."

One last time, Lady Synestra spoke up, trying to block her path.

"Husband, perhaps one of your other agents could…"

He silenced his wife with a single glare.

"The choice is made," he said coldly. He turned to Feore.

"Send word to Slynn as the spaceport, he is to bring his ship here, and be prepared for a long mission."

Avaryss only just contained a gleeful smile.

It seemed that her master had chosen to make Slynn and Holli's ship hers for a time.

That was good, a Sith apprentice needed her own ship.

Follow this mystery for me, my dear," Feer said to her, "If something is going on that is a threat to either the Sith or the Empire stop it. If the Republic has found something of value, bring it to me. Find me the answers, and do not stop until they are found."

"It will be done, my lord," she promised.

"Then the time has come to unleash you on the Empire, my dear daughter. Bring fury, bring rage, bring death!"

Avaryss grinned triumphantly, enjoying the look on Lady Synestra's face, and the disappointment radiating off of young Bael."

"It is what I do," she promised.

"It is what I was born to do."

She thought of the galaxy spread out before her, waiting for her touch it.

She could barely contain her excitement.

Ready or not, she thought.

Here I come…


	9. Two Lessons

**Chapter 9: Two Lessons**

Nar Shadda.

The smuggler's Moon had long been known as a haven of lawlessness. The Hutt Cartel may have ruled here, but as long as you chose not to interfere with their business, you could do what you liked. It was anything goes.

Since the return of the Sith Empire, the Hutts had done all they could to maintain their neutrality treaties with both the Republic and the Empire, as a result, the slug lords that ruled from Nal Hutta, the Glorious Jewel, grew even more wealthy as the profited from the chaos that had spread throughout the galaxy. Even with the signing of the treaty of Coruscant, and the fragile peace that now reigned between the two super powers, the Hutt Cartel still found ways to profit from the conflict, the real war may have stopped ,but the resulting cold war had made the gangsters more powerful than ever.

From a ship coming in from orbit, Nar Shadda might have seemed to be a glamorous place; brightly lit signs illuminated the smoky skies, while air traffic of every kind wove its way in and out among the great structures of the smuggler's moon. Someone had once said that if you had a desire for anything, all you had to do was come to Nar Shadda, everything was for sale here, and all it would cost was both your credits and your innocence.

Avaryss had smiled when she heard that last part.

She had lost her innocence long ago.

Captain Slynn brought the Fury class interceptor down into one of the heaviest lanes of incoming traffic. All around them buzzed ships from a hundred different worlds. Through the Force, Avaryss could feel hum and whirl of the world below. It may have looked bright and festive with its many casinos and trading posts, but it was anything but…

To one skilled in the ways of the Force, Nar Shadda stank of desperation. What the Hutts conducted up here was the types of business they would rather not do down on their homeworld. Slavery, spice, gun running, the sins of the people of this place were many, as well as the cries of anguish of those that were often caught in the crossfire.

Avaryss felt nothing for those wailing masses. The weak existed to serve the strong, which was the way of the universe. Life was a constant struggle to survive; anyone who said otherwise was a fool, or simply trying to manipulate the masses.

_Peace is a lie, there was only passion._

"We have our landing coordinates, my lord," Slynn informed her, "Lord Rathari has granted us the use of one of his hangars for the duration of our mission here.

She nodded.

She was still not sure she truly trusted the captain. When she sensed him through the Force all she felt was cold arrogance. True, an Imperial needed to believe in himself to succeed, but…

She would give him one last chance to prove himself, if he failed her here, she would make sure that he would not fail anyone ever again.

_Deal with Slynn later, for now, stay focused on the mission._

She nodded to herself.

_Yes, the mission __**had **__to come first._

Before sending her off, Darth Feer had contacted the Sith Lord trusted to look after Imperial interest here on Nar Shadda, Lord Rathari had been chosen by the dark council to handle any matters that benefited the Empire as a whole, and had been trusted with, eventually, finding a way to bring the Hutt clans into Imperial orbit. It was not enough to simply have a treaty with the slug-like gangsters, the Sith needed to own them, it was the only way that they could properly be brought to heel.

That task had fallen to Rathari, a difficult job to be sure, but for someone who considered himself a Sith on the way up, a necessary step in establishing himself as a dominate player in the game of Sith politics.

Like many Sith, Lord Rathari was more than eager to aid Lord Feer in carrying out his will, Gaining the favor of a Darth could be very useful to one hoping to move up in the Empire, and, according to Lord Feer, Rathari was a very ambitious man, indeed.

"The fool thinks he is a man of destiny," he had chuckled, "He took my attention as proof of that destiny. He will not hinder your search."

Avaryss had nodded, pleased with the news, but she did have a question.

"Does he not realize that he has invited _our_ enemies to become _**his**_ enemies? Why would he risk bringing Terrog and Baras down on his head?"

"Because he believes that he can handle it," her master had replied with a sneer, "If anything he will distract Baras and Terrog, especially if they already have people on the ground on Nar Shadda."

Her master smiled and lifted her chin; her crimson eyes looked into his golden ones.

"The stakes grow ever **higher**, my child. I hope you are ready for what is to come."

She had assured him that she was.

She sensed there was more going on here then what they could see.

She was eager to try and get to the bottom of it, and if anyone tried to get in her way, she would enjoy removing them from her path.

She would enjoy that very much.

The journey to the smuggler's moon proved to be most uneventful. Slynn had picked them up at the Feer estate, and they had left with no incident. Mister Rink was most impressed by the Interceptor; he looked upon it as it landed like one would look on a future lover. Once they were aboard and safely traveling at light speed, he divided his time between the engineering section and the bridge, spending his time asking Slynn and Holli questions about the Sith ship.

Avaryss did not discourage him, as long as he was busying himself with the crew, he was leaving her in peace, which was good, she spent the bulk of her time in her quarters, meditating and gathering her power for when they arrived on Nar Shadda. Only her new protocol droid had been allowed inside her chambers. He had not been available on her last mission, having been off ship receiving a series of new upgrades to enhance his performance, but now, he was all hers and she was free to do with him as she pleased. 2V-R9 was an older model servant droid programed to see to the day to day operations of her new vessel. Like most Sith droids, Toovee had been programmed with the idea that at any time his new master might decide to scrap him, as a result he lived in a state of constant programmed fear.

It amused her to tease the droid about his possible scraping, it would keep the droid settled on his duties while at the same time provide her with amusement on long voyages.

I should take my amusements where I can, she realized, what was to come will no doubt test my abilities, and in truth, she would not have it any other way.

She did not think for a moment that this would be easy. If Tatooine had taught her anything, it was clear that there were other players in this game, and that they knew far more than she did. House Feer was playing catch up, and that was never a good thing when it came to being a Sith.

_Those that fell behind were left behind;_ she would **not** be one of them.

She could not help but think that what was happening here, that it was part of her destiny.

The thought made her smile.

The fact that her destiny might just hinge on a stolen droid head was amusing to say the least.

Whatever was so important about the thing, whatever knowledge it contained would be hers, hers and her masters.

From there, they would see where the future would lead.

Once they had landed, Avaryss took Mister Rink and got moving. She ordered Ensign Holli that, under no circumstances, was she to do anything that took their ship off line for any length of time. Avaryss was still not sure what welcome they had awaiting them here. She did not want to risk getting stranded on the Smuggler's Moon without a working hyper drive.

"Tell Slynn to be ready to leave on a moment's notice," she informed the young engineer, "I will be most displeased if we are not."

The girl grinned and bobbed her head.

"Have no fear, my lord; everything will be ready upon your return."

With that Avaryss and Rink had set out to retrieve the droid head. He informed her that it would be smarter and quicker to take a speeder to his little hidey hole.

"This whole area is under the control of Y'bann the Hutt," he informed her, "He will not be pleased that we took something of value from his sector, even if he finds out about it after the fact. Hutts will use any excuse to punish any slight, real or imagined."

"Then we must move quickly then," she said, "I will see about acquiring a speeder for us."

"Leave that to me, milady," he said grinning proudly, "I was boosting speeders since I was ten, and boosting whole starships since I was thirteen."

"We do _**not **_want to attract attention," she warned him, "Perhaps credits will serve us better than simply…_borrowing_ a speeder."

Her eyes narrowed.

"And do not call me Milady," she growled, "I am Sith. You may call me, my lord."

His brow furrowed.

"But you are a lady, yes?"

She smiled.

"I'm female, yes, though few would call me a lady."

She laughed lightly.

"Sith do not bind themselves to gender based honorifics. A full Sith may be called Lord, regardless of gender. Lady is usually a title reserved for their wives."

"What do they call the female lord's husband?" he asked.

"They hold the title of High Consort, though it is rare that a female lord marries beneath her, typically her mate is a lord himself already. If both hold the title of dark lord, then they are honored equally, regardless of their gender."

She stepped forward giving him a cold smile.

"So remember your place, and **my **title, I will not ask again.

"Sure thing," he said smiling gamely, "You are the boss, boss."

Avaryss rolled her eyes. Boss wasn't…

No wait.

She smiled.

"Boss," she said nodding, "Yes, that works too; you may refer to me as such from now on."

"Gotcha," he said standing at attention and saluting her.

She shook her head.

_Emperor give me strength._

It would not be easy to resist the urge to kill this man. He seemed eager to push her buttons.

She would have to resist temptation, at least until she had what she needed.

Then, she would be free to reevaluate their relationship.

"Lead on, Mister Rink," she said.

"Time is short."

IOI

The air speeder zipped from busy traffic lane to traffic lane. Avaryss sat in the passenger seat while Rink drove. She watched as they moved past the brightly lit signs and Hutt pleasure barges that filled the sky.

Avaryss frowned slightly.

She should have felt at home here, the dark side was quite strong in this place. Yet, she did not; the light side shard within her had begun to pulse irritatingly, the result being that her head was filling with weaker emotions and doubts.

She did her best to focus, and push such thoughts away. She would not be hobbled by this, not when she was coming so close to her goal.

She reached out with the Force, sensing the despair; it was a feeling that burned like a simmering fire beneath the greed and violence of this world. She found herself looking over at her companion. Rink had said little as he guided her towards where he had stashed his prize.

She frowned.

She found herself feeling…curious.

"So this is Nar Shadda," she said shaking her head, "I can't imagine that it was easy growing up here."

Rink glanced her way, she sensed surprise, perhaps he thought her indifferent to what this place was.

He shrugged slightly.

"You learn how to swim quickly here, or you drown," he replied, "That is the way it is in most places, I suppose."

Avaryss nodded.

"Were you born here?"

"No, I…I was born on Kuat. Dad use to work for the Drive Yards there, I was pretty young when they left but I remember that much. I think we came here because of a job offer. Companies are always opening up here, seeking to take advantage of the Hutts desire for credits and lack of regulation."

Rink laughed.

"I'm not sure what happened to my dad, but I remember my mom telling me one day that he was not coming home. She worked to try and support us, for a while, used to leave me with a neighbor while she was gone, one day, she did not come back either. The friendly neighbor did not keep me around long after that. I was taken to an orphanage, stayed there for a few years before I ran away."

"How old were you?"

"Eight or nine, I've been on my own ever since."

Avaryss pursed her lips.

The thought of a child living on his own on such a world boggled her mind, especially for a child with no one to turn to.

"I got lucky," he said, "Fell in with one of the gangs, took me in, fed me, and taught me how to survive. Could have been worse, believe me; slavers here are always on the lookout for kids. They fetch a fine price if they are found before something bad happens to them."

He glanced over at her.

"It wasn't some fancy estate on Dromund Kaas, but this place became a home of sorts. I did not have some wealthy master to supply everything I needed."

She frowned.

Was he actually looking down on her because of her station? Did he not think she knew what it was like to lose everything?!

She was tempted to punish him, but again the light inside her flared up.

She found herself talking rather than punishing.

"If you must know, I was not born on Dromund Kaas," she said defensively, "I come from a small farming world on the outskirts of the Empire. Everything I have, my place and power were all earned through struggle and hard work. No one gave me anything."

"Really," he said giving her an arched look, "Hey…look I did not mean to offend, just stating facts, but still…"

He smiled.

"A farm world, you say you were raised on a farm?"

"I was."

"When I look at you, I don't see some farm kid."

She smiled slightly.

"Good, because I've worked very hard to shed what I was, to kill everything that marked me as being from that life. If one is to survive on Dromund Kaas you need to embrace what it means to be a member of the Sith."

"We all have to grow up," he agreed, "You don't learn how to survive, you don't last long, not on places like this, or places like Dromund Kaas, am I right?"

"You are indeed, Mister Rink."

"You are indeed."

She sighed and shook her head.

_Why she had felt the need to share this with him, she did not know. It was not like she needed his compassion or understanding, only the item that he had hidden._

_Once she had it, she would decide what to do with him._

You will need to think hard on this, her conscience chided, it would certainly serve your master's needs to simply eliminate him, but what about yours. Remember the Jawas on Tatooine. They had the prestige they did by honoring their deals; people knew that they could be trusted within the limits of what they were.

Ruthlessness alone will not make you powerful; you need to temper that with cunning, and occasionally with generosity to your underlings. A master that abuses his hounds doesn't have hounds for very long, and sometimes they might even turn and bite him.

_Think carefully before you simply throw something away. A bit of mercy may prove valuable in the long run._

She said nothing, but she did acknowledge the wisdom of that thought.

No Sith took power on her own, underlings were required.

She glanced over at Rink. He did have skills that might prove useful. Despite his insolence, and problems with authority, there was actually some value beneath all that swagger and attitude.

She would see what she could do to yoke that value.

"How long until we reach our destination?" she asked.

"Not long," he promised, "I hid what we are looking for in the industrial sector, not much down there, and the…smell alone has been known to keep the curious away."

She wrinkled her nose.

"The smell?"

He chuckled.

"It is not all brightly lit buildings and palaces on Nar Shadda, Boss. Sometimes the unpleasant things here can work to your advantage."

She sighed.

She was grateful that she had chosen to wear a full armored suit, and knee high boots. A hooded cloak hid most of her features, not that she would be here long to be recognized. She had no real idea what Rink meant when he said "unpleasant," but she did not think that she was going to like it.

_Fortunately, you are not going to be here that long, find the droid, and get out._

She took a deep breath and began to gather her strength.

The Force began to simmer inside of her.

"Remember to watch your step around here," Rink cautioned as they began their descent into the industrial sector.

"This place can be a little rough."

She smiled gamely.

"Do not worry about me," she said, "I'm ready for anything."

Thirty minutes later, she began to question the validity of those words.

IOI

Rink led her through what could only be called a large sewer pipe. Her knee high boots proved to be a good choice as they trudged through sludge and grime. Her cloak was dragging through the muck.

Rink had been right about the smell of course, she could not imagine a reason that she would wish to remain in such a place for very long, no matter what prize might await down here.

She resisted the urge to breathe through her nose.

Most unpleasant, she thought.

It was most unpleasant indeed.

"Home sweet home," Rink chuckled as he splashed on ahead of her.

Avaryss frowned.

The desire to drown him in this sludge was increasing; she would try to hold back on it for a while longer.

He did not seem to understand exactly who he was dealing with. He seemed to enjoy teasing her, treating her like a peer rather than his master. If he was not careful, he would come to regret that decision.

Rink looked at her, and all he saw was a young girl, she was more than that, far more.

She was Sith.

If the street rat was not careful, he would likely learn _exactly _what that meant.

It would be fun to punish him, but that was not what she was here for.

They still had a prize to find.

She continued to restrain herself, for now.

"How much further," she asked.

"Not much," he said, "There is a maintenance room up ahead; that is where I hid the thing."

He laughed.

"When I think of how close I came to simply turning over the head to my fence, I have to laugh."

"It is a good thing that you didn't." she answered, "Your Republic friends probably would have killed you on the spot had they had in their hands in that moment."

"You are probably right. Now where is, ah there it is."

In the dim light, she saw Thranton step out of the water and onto a small ledge. She heard the sound of a key pad being activated, buttons being pressed.

A section of pipe to their right slid upward, revealing a door.

Avaryss sighed with relief.

It seemed that they had reached their destination.

Praise be to the Emperor!

She let him help her up onto a short metal walkway. Several cubby holes lined the walls, some with locked doors.

Rink walked up, and kneeled down before one.

"A few months ago," he said, "I stole a ship that had a genetic scanner on its entry system. The people I sold it to had no real interest in it, so I acquired it for my own personal use."

He gave her a proud smirk.

"That is why you needed me here. You would not have been able to open this safe without my genetic material."

Avaryss gave him a sly look.

"Oh…I don't know," she said, "All I would have needed was your hand. The rest of your could have stayed behind on Dromund Kaas."

"Whoa there," he replied, "that is a little dark for you isn't it?"

Her smile widened.

"Oh…Mister Rink, you have not seen dark yet."

He said nothing more, choosing to return to his work. She stood watch as he entered a code on keypad next to the shelves.

The door finally hissed open. She watched as he reached inside and pulled out a large black bundle, wrapped in a leather cloth. He opened it up to reveal a shiny chrome surface.

"Is It safe?" she asked him.

"Seems to be," he said turning the droid head over, she could see the leads where it had been removed from its body. It…

Avaryss frowned and looked up. The Force shifted slightly, and with it, the sound of splashing coming up from the way they had come.

She could sense several people approaching, Seven, maybe eight of them, she could feel both hostility and arrogance.

"Did anyone else know you used this place as a hideout," she asked Rink.

"Where it was exactly, no," he replied, "Of course, this wasn't the first time I hid something down here.

Avaryss cursed under her breath.

_It seemed that they were about to have company._

Thranton slipped the prize into the duffel he had brought with them. He also pulled out a small hold out blaster from the hiding place as well.

Avaryss glared at him.

"Were you planning on using that on me?"

"Nope, we had a deal remember? You can't reward me if you're dead, and besides, hopefully…I will not even have to use this."

He put on his most welcoming smile and stepped before her.

"Let me do the talking," he suggested, "a few choice words might get us out of here faster than that nerf-sticker you are carrying."

"Nerf…sticker," she said, feeling mildly insulted.

A lightsaber was no mere "nerf-sticker."

She was about to say as much when the people she sensed came around the corner.

"Evening gentles," he said jovially, "What can I…?"

He paused mid-sentence.

Avaryss got her first real look at their uninvited guests.

They did not look friendly.

All were clad in black leather, and all had their faces painted bright red. A single symbol adorned their foreheads, the mark of their gang she supposed. There were three humans and four aliens in their group. She recognized two of them as Rodians, the third and fourth she thought were a Gotal and Aqualish respectively.

"Great," she heard Rink mutter under his breath.

"The Darths have found us."

Avaryss eyes narrowed.

Darths? Did these ruffians actually refer to themselves as **Darths?**

Her temper began to grow.

Such scum did not deserve to call themselves by that name.

A Darth was death itself, the dark side personified!

It was a title that was respected, it was not meant to be a lark for street scum!

"So the little rat finally returned to his whole," one of the gang members crowed.

"The boys and I were starting to wonder if we were gonna have to search this place ourselves."

"I'm sure we can come to an arrangement," Rink said, "There is no need for violence."

Several of the gang members giggled.

"Oh there is a great need for it," their leader said smiling, "It is kinda fun!"

Avaryss rolled her eyes. She could feel the hate rising inside of her; normally she simply let it flow through her, her body serving a conduit to feed the dark side.

Now, she let it build within her, feeling the power build. This scum was an insult to the Sith Empire, she had decided.

They would answer for that outrage.

"We've been paid to watch this place," the leader said with a wide toothy grin, "Anyone tries to take anything out of here, we take it from em. Of course, now that we have it, we can see how high we can push the price up, eh boys?"

His fellows nodded, a few giggled.

"A word to the wise," Rink said to them politely, "You don't want to do that, the people that want this thing, they play rough, trust me on that."

"The Darths aren't afraid of nuthin you little worm. We are…"

Avaryss had heard enough.

She started laughing.

That laughter drew the attention of everybody. Rink looked at her like she had gone mad. The gangsters looked insulted.

"What you laughing at?" the leader demanded.

Avaryss shook her head.

"At **you**," she admitted, "How little you truly understand."

She stepped before Mister Rink. What she had in mind was for him too. He needed to learn exactly who he was dealing with, and these fools would provide the perfect example.

She stepped forward, lowering her hood, letting their adversaries see her face.

The leader looked surprised, at first, a look that shifted into one of greed.

"Pretty lady," he said, "You will fetch us a pretty price with the Hutts."

"Oh I really don't think so," Avaryss answered, her mirth fading to a few giggles.

She looked up at them, her power continuing to build inside her. These "Darths" saw her as no threat. They still believed they were in control here.

They were about to learn a valuable lesson.

"You call yourselves Darths, but you do not understand the title. You make light of the Sith and what it means to be Sith. You do not understand the power of the dark side, you understand nothing."

She shook her head, her fury continued to build, the world around her was tinged with red, the tunnel around them seemed to lighten; a soft crimson light was building, despite the fact that she had not activated her lightsaber.

She felt a slight shift in some of the gang members. She felt confusion, anger at being challenged, and a bit of fear. The last part was bit hard to understand until she reached out and sensed the surface thoughts of them.

They were backing away because her red eyes were glowing, they did not know what to make of that.

Stick around, she thought; what happens next will be even more amazing!

"A Darth is death," she informed them, "It is the highest level of Sith, a name that inspires both fear and speaks of the lord's refinement."

The leader, probably the strongest of this lot still not get it, she felt his hostility building.

"What do you know about the Sith lady? You're just some shutta, you know nuthin!"

Avaryss sneered.

Here is how much I know," she purred.

She gestured with her right hand.

She unleashed the power that had been building inside of her. She cast the spell, and the dark side washed over these so called "Darths."

The result was quite impressive.

The screaming started first, shrieks of terror and howls of rage. In that moment the gang members forgot all about profit from the droid head and trying to sell Avaryss to the Hutts. They spun around and realized that they were surrounded by enemies.

They responded not with controlled violence, but with panic! They lashed out with their bare hands ignoring their weapons.

Avaryss and Rink stood there and watched as the gang tore into each other, attacking with fingers, teeth and claws.

They quite literally tore each other apart.

Avaryss reveled in the show.

It only took a few minutes. The hate and fury the gang members possessed was quite strong, her spell merely amplified what was inside of them, stripping them of any inhibitions. Soon the sludge at their feet turned red, and the cries of rage were replaced by gurgles cut short and then silence.

She waited until the very end, to see who was left.

Once again Sith's adage of the strong surviving proved true. Only the leader, the gang's spokesmen remained. Though he was quite beyond saying anything at that point, in that moment he was beyond almost anything.

He sat in the muck curled up in a fetal possession, whimpering pathetically, nursing a broken arm and sobbing, his eyes squeezed shut.

Avaryss stood triumphantly over him.

"You are no Darth," she said coldly, "A Darth would not have fallen so easily."

She looked over at Mister Rink; he looked pale, and a little green. His eyes were wide with disbelief, and perhaps a little horror.

She smiled at him.

"As you can see Mister Rink, I am more than my 'nerf-sticker' A Sith is far more than a laser sword. The ancient arts still live in me; the power of Sith sorcery is very much alive."

She stepped closer to him, so that they stood eye to eye.

"Let this be a lesson to you, two lessons actually, the first being that I am no mere girl."

He laughed nervously trying to put on a brave face.

"Um…sure boss, whatever you say."

She nodded pleased by his answer.

"And…um…ah…the second lesson, you said there were two."

"The second lesson is even easier to remember."

"Beware the dark side."

She took one final look around them, at the carnage she had wrought.

She found it good.

"Let us be off," she said, "These might not have been the only ones watching this place. We need to get back to the ship."

"Right behind you, Boss," he replied, trying to regain some of his swagger even as he stepped over the bodies of the gang members.

"Lead the way."

She smiled as she turned and made her way back down the sewer pipe.

Lead the way he had said.

Avaryss grinned triumphantly.

How could she do anything else?


	10. Fools

**Chapter 10: Fools**

Behind them, the billboard exploded in a shower of sparks.

Avaryss looked over her shoulder as the speeder bike that had been chasing them went down in a ball of flame. She could not see what happened to the pilot, and would not care even if she did. Unfortunately, there were still three more speeder bikes on their tail, and each seemed bound and determined to stop their escape. Their…

The world tilted crazily as Rink sent their speeder into a spinning dive, that took even Avaryss' breath away, and left her stomach about twenty feet above them. The street rat somehow managed to bring them out of the dive and accelerated between two buildings that no air speeder had any business going between, but somehow just managed to fit, and shot out the other side.

Again Rink banked hard and shot back up into traffic, no doubt, trying to get lost among the many other floaters, speeders and swoops that were moving quickly through the space lanes of Nar Shadda.

Avaryss glanced behind her again.

She saw no sign of pursuit.

"We lose 'em?" Rink asked.

"I don't see them back there," she informed him, "But…"

A droid floater behind them banked crazily its repulsor lifts struck by blaster fire. It banked into incoming traffic and two speeders struck it vanishing in a giant ball of orange flame, and through that flame roared their pursuers, firing their blasters all the way.

Again Mister Rink went evasive, and again Avaryss was pushed back in her seat by the acceleration.

From his place next to her Rink was laughing and grinning like a fool.

"Damn," he crowed, "these boys don't know when to quit.

He dove again, only pulling up when their speeder was only a foot or so above the pedestrians on the walkways below. People ducked, curses, squawks and shrieks filled the air as panicked civilians scattered, trying to avoid both the speeder and the blaster bolts peppering the ground behind them.

"Hold onto something, boss," Rink laughed, "We're in for a bumpy ride!"

She glared at him.

"You are enjoying this, aren't you?" she spat.

"Yeah," he admitted never taking his eyes off the path ahead, "Aren't you?"

Avaryss shook her head, but on a small level she could not deny the excitement of this, the adrenaline flowing unchecked through her veins.

She smiled slightly.

Yes, she hated to admit it, but she was **enjoying **this, but they were not here to have fun.

They needed to lose these fools. Now.

Avaryss gestured ahead of them, not an easy thing when they were moving so fast. A dumpster, two parked speeder bikes, and a large street sweeper droid rose up and jumped into their pursuers' path. There was a loud crash and a flash of light behind them.

Avaryss again dared a look over her shoulder.

One down, she thought grinning, two to go.

Thranton Rink shot the speeder on a sharp vertical path. The two remaining speeders shot past, but Avaryss did not think they had lost them.

Whoever these people were, they were proving to be more skilled then the scum they had faced in the sewer.

There arrival had clearly not gone unnoticed, and now that they had brought Rink's prize into the open, many were rising up to claim it.

Avaryss was determined to see that they all failed.

"We need to get back to the ship," she said matter of factly.

"I'm game if you are, boss, but I don't think these guys are going to give us much chance."

Avaryss cursed under her breath.

She was tempted to throw lightning at the remaining bikes, or perhaps use her lightsaber to send their bolts back at them, but she knew that would not be a good idea.

Right now what was going on was simple speeders chase, they happened all the time on Nar Shadda, the authorities had not even responded yet, if you could call the Hutts' bully boys authorities. If she started openly using her powers, things would escalate quickly. The trick she pulled with the stuff in the road hinted at Sith involvement but was not easily proved. If she chose to act in a more direct manner, however, news would certainly get back to other Sith on the moon, and from there even more lords would start asking questions of what she was fighting so hard to protect.

Secrecy was key here; her master had made that point abundantly clear.

She would not violate his orders.

Which, of course left her right back where she started, they still needed to either lose or destroy their pursuers; the only question was how.

A blaster bolt, flashed past her head, forcing her to look away. Again the two riders began drawing in close.

Avaryss frowned.

Was it her imagination or were they slowing down?

She looked over at Rink. He seemed focused, but at the same time she could tell he was thinking, she could almost sense the ideas bouncing around inside his head.

They slowed a bit more; the bikes began to catch up.

"What're you doing?" she demanded.

He remained focused on the path ahead.

"You know much about speeder bikes?" he asked.

"Yes," she admitted, "I rode one every day for two years back home."

"Do you know where the fuel cell is on one?"

"Of course."

Rink smiled slyly.

"Those creepy powers of yours, you think you could yank out the fuel cell or something?"

Avaryss was about to balk as the idea, but then realized what he was saying, considered it.

She smiled wickedly.

"I _could_ do something along those lines, yes."

"Do you need line of sight?"

"It helps," she agrees.

He nodded gamely, still smiling.

"Get ready, you take the one on the right, I got the guy on the left.

Another blaster bolt flew past her head. The Force had warned her just in time, their pursuers were closing in for the kill. They might have thought their quarry was damaged, or that Rink had decided to give up. Over the whine of the speeder engines, she could almost hear the men on the bikes shouting at them, ordering them to land.

_That is not going to happen_, she thought.

She looked over as the two bikes made their move, one on Rink's side, one on hers.

_Sneaky_, she thought to herself, _it seemed that Thranton Rink had a clever mind, and it was clear that his boasts about knowing his way around a speeder was more than simple bravado._

She wondered if he could handle a ship as well as he could an air speeder. It might be to her advantage to find out.

The men chasing them drew closer still.

If this worked, she decided; then she would definitely be letting Mister Rink live. Usefulness should be rewarded, and he was clearly more than a bit of swagger and a handsome face, she could use him.

The bike on her side drew closer, she could see the rider's face now, a human wearing goggles and a mask to protect his face from flying debris. The man's blaster was up, ready if she tried anything.

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and reached out with the Force, finding his machine in it was quite simple, her ability to manipulate energies with the Force drew her to the potential energy in the bike's fuel cell, and now that things had slowed down a bit, she had no problem reaching out with the Force and finding it.

_Child's play_, she thought.

"Hands up," she heard the rider shout.

_I do not think so._

She reached out with the Force, wrapped her will around the speeder bike's fuel cell, and crushed it with the Force.

The result was instantaneous.

The fuel cell exploded, but not before it sent just one final burst of speed into the engine of the bike.

The vehicle shot forward, no longer a speeder bike but a ball of flame being ridden by a screaming man. She felt the man's panic right up until the burning speeder slammed into a concrete wall at high speed.

The man's presence winked out.

She took a moment to savor his end, his panic and final pain.

_Delicious._

She was jolted out of her revelry when Rink suddenly flipped their speeder over in a full three sixty. The other rider had seen what had happened to his ally, and for that brief moment been distracted.

It was all that Rink needed.

The larger air speeder caught the smaller bike from beneath and caused it to flip over…**hard.** The pilot did not even have time to respond. The bike stalled in the air as the man hit the break only to have his own repulsor lifts fail, and cause the bike to go tumbling end over end out of the sky.

It vanished somewhere below them in a flash of orange light.

Rink laughed.

"Well…they won't be bothering us again."

In spite of herself, Avaryss cackled.

"Well done, Mister Rink," she said, "Very well done, indeed."

"Thanks, Boss; now…back to the ship?"

She nodded.

He brought the speeder up, an around and began accelerating towards their destination.

Avaryss pulled out her comlink.

""Holli," she called into it, "Holli, respond, we are on our way back now. Holli?"

There was no answer. All that she could hear was very loud static.

Frowning Avaryss reached out with the Force, trying to sense if there was a problem.

She sighed heavily.

There was.

"Can't raise the ship?" Rink asked, sounding concerned.

"Our communications are being jammed," she said putting the comlink away.

"I think the ship is under attack."

Rink's eyes narrowed, as he put on even more speed.

"We better get back there then," he said grimly.

"Yes," she said her expression cold as a glacier.

_It seems that I have some killing to do_, she thought.

_She would hate to be late._

IOI

They arrived to find the hanger a battlefield.

Twenty attackers were advancing on the Fury. Holli hunkered down near the ramp defending the ship with a blaster carbine while a small belly turret from beneath the ship fired at anything that got too close to her.

Rink banked the speeder around trying to find a good place to land under cover so that they could get out of here fast.

Avaryss shook her head.

Where in the Emperor's name was Rathari's men? He had promised her master that they had safe passage for the duration of this mission, and now not a single Sith soldier was to be found?

This could have been a trap, she realized, perhaps Lord Rathari wanted this mysterious prize as well, perhaps someone had contacted him, offered him a reward for acquiring it for them.

It was possible, she supposed, both Terrog and Baras were Darths, they could definitely afford to bribe the Lord of Nar Shadda, and if she died during this attack, no one would be the wiser.

Avaryss temper flared. Part of her wanted to forget the ship, fly to where ever Rathari was hiding and start skinning him alive. Answers would pour from his mouth before the end. She did not care that the dark council had put him here. If he had betrayed her master, if he had betrayed her, he would answer! He would.

"Hold on tight," Rink told her, "I got an idea."

Avaryss braced herself tightening not only the straps holding her in place, but cocooning herself in the Force.

Rink brought the speeder around hard and low, causing it to slide on its repulsor lifts.

The speeder slammed into where the people attacking their ship had been taking cover, some were struck by the speeder, while others leapt out of the way. The vehicle continued to slide clearing away any protection the attackers might have had, but as it finally came to a stop, the survivors leapt out and tried to engage Rink and Avaryss.

For them, it was a fatal mistake.

No sooner had the vehicle stopped that Avaryss tore away her restraints and leapt high into the air, igniting her lightsaber in mid flip. She came down among the attackers, falling on them like a Tukata on a Neek.

The attackers were all alien, all armed and armored, not that it saved them. Large insectoids in breathing masks they tried to overwhelm her with numbers, some drawing blades while some in the back tried to blast her with their rifles.

The sword wielders died first.

Her lightsaber carved through them like hot knife. As they died the stink of ammonia filled the hanger, having come from the dying creature's breathing gear. She turned away a few blaster shots using the Shien form, but after having been stripped of cover, the gun wielders now found themselves easy prey to Holli, the turret, and even Mister Rink who was covering her with his holdout blaster.

The aliens did not beg, nor did they try to surrender. They fought to the last, the final one dying when Avaryss caught him in a Force grip, and cracked his exoskeleton like an egg. Once again a puff of ammonia escaped the body as she let it fall broken to the hangar floor.

Avaryss shook her head; the stench of ammonia was making her a little dizzy.

She deactivated her sword and returned it to her belt.

Rink came to her side, still clutching the droid head under his right arm while holding his blaster with the left.

Avaryss scanned the area again with the Force, feeling no more enemies, she nodded grimly.

Now…they could get out of here.

"Gand," Rink said shaking his head, "Bounty hunters, they work for Y'bann the Hutt, when they are not taking out private contracts."

"So we know someone is after our prize," she said sarcastically, "That is news."

He took no offense, he actually chuckled.

"You do know how to make friends, boss. I give you that."

"My lord," Holli said running up to her, her face as always stained with grease from her work with the engines.

"Are you well?"

"I will be when we are out of this stink," she said dryly, heading for the ramp of the ship. "I trust we are ready to go?"

"Ready and able," Holli said pleasantly.

The three went up the ramp quickly, Holli closing it behind them.

Rink handed Avaryss the droid head, she smiled and carried it back to her quarters.

"Tell, Slynn to set course for Dromund Kaas," she ordered. Her hands brushing over the chrome droid head.

"We must know what is so important about this."

She did not relax until she felt the ship begin to rise beneath them, and even then it was short lived.

She felt a disturbance in the Force even before they cleared the atmosphere.

The ship shuddered beneath them, blaster fire raking at their shields.

She shook her head.

They were not out of this yet.

IOI

They are blocking our escape vector," Slynn informed her.

"There is nothing I can do."

Avaryss hissed; air escaped from between her teeth as she glared at the imperial captain.

"How many pursuers?" she asked.

"Scanners show at least six fighters, my lord. They are uglies by the look, probably mercenary or pirate ships."

The young Sith rolled her eyes.

She did not expect their attackers to be members of the imperial navy.

"Lose them," she ordered, "Take evasive action."

"I'm doing that now, my lord," he promised, "And shifting power to the aft shields, they will hold."

The ship rocked again.

Avaryss was not so sure she trusted the captain's appraisal of the situation.

He is too reliant on the shields.

It will get us killed if he is not careful.

The uglies, as Slynn called them, were star fighters cobbled together from pieces of other fighting craft, and scrounged parts. Popular among criminals and pirate bands, they might not look impressive, but they did have some teeth.

Two fighters shot past them, Avaryss thought they were simply trying to force the Fury down, but then they opened up with tail gun fire, ion discharges struck the shields sending electrical sparks dancing over the shields draining them further. When the shields failed, if they were hit with another ion blast, the Fury **would** go down.

Avaryss frowned.

"I told you to lose this scum, Slynn," she growled, "This ship is one of the fastest in the Imperial navy, but you are driving it like it is a garbage scow."

Her burning eyes flared.

"You _**will**_ lose them."

"I'm working on that now, my lord," he said banking hard, two more ships blew past them, and slowed but the two behind stayed above them keeping them from breaking out, and the two fighters with ion cannons were already circling around like prey birds, hungry for the kill.

Avaryss' anger continued to grow.

They would never escape this way!

They were struck again by another blast, alarms wailed on Slynn's console, he turned them off, but warning lights continued to flash.

"We have a fire back here," Holli called out, "Toovee and I are handling it."

Through the Force she could feel Slynn's desperation; he was not use to flying in such a fight, urban flying was not what he had been trained for. He may have been used to dealing with Republic pilots in deep space, but atmospheric combat seemed to have him on edge. She could feel his fear, both of losing control and crashing, and of her.

The former was unacceptable of a man in her service, the latter was expected.

He should be afraid of her.

She found Rink at her side; she had been so focused on Slynn and the pursuit that she had not even heard the street rat enter.

"Fire is out," he informed her, "Holli, is making sure that the hyper drive wasn't damaged."

"Good," she said, finally, she turned to face him.

"Tell me; can you fly a ship as well as you fly an air speeder?"

It took him a second to grasp what she had asked. Then his look of surprise turned to that cocky grin she remembered from the speeder chase.

"Better," he said, "All I would need is for you to sit back and watch me work."

She smiled.

"Very well."

She stepped over and struck Slynn across the back of the head with the hilt of her lightsaber, using the Force she yanked his body out of the pilot seat and flung him down behind them. He groaned when he hit, likely not even realizing what had happened.

Rink was in the pilot's chair even before the Imperial hit the deck.

Immediately he got to work.

The first thing he did was fire the main guns, he managed to destroy one of the uglies, but it was clear that destroying them had not been his intent. He had only needed to clear a path, get some room.

He gunned the accelerator, and the ship shot forward, with the barest of margins he just missed clipping the top of a building, anyone standing on the roof likely had to dive for cover.

"_**Whoa!"**_ Rink laughed, _**"This lady has some legs under her."**_

He grinned at Avaryss.

"Let's see her strut."

His hands danced over the console.

The Fury shot skyward with the five remaining fighters in pursuit. He dove into the busiest of space lanes, juking in and out like some slave gladiator in the middle of a melee. Ships banked hard to get out the way, as Rink spun and juked through them like they were barely even there.

Avaryss' heart was pounding, how close they were coming to death, but at the same time it was clear that Rink had it well in hand.

She looked at him through the Force.

What she saw surprised her.

He was not Force sensitive that was clear, but again the Force seemed to be swirling around him like a hurricane, she had thought that it was simply because he had stolen that droid head, and that it was **that** that had made him a shatter point in the Force. That was clearly part of it, but it was not the only thing that made the young man special. He might not realize it, but the Force _**was**_ with him, lending a suggestion at times, giving the boy help he did realize that he was getting, enhancing his already quick reflects and allowing him to fly through the minefield of ships before them.

It happened sometimes, she knew. The boy would never be Sith, but he could be classified as a savant in the Force. He was one of those one in a million fools that just happened to find favor in the will of the Force.

She smiled warmly.

She knew in that moment that she would not be killing Mister Rink, not now, maybe not ever. He was something more, a fool, yes, but one that she was curious to see what the Force had in store for him next.

Yes, she decided, he would live, some fools did deserve to.

There was a beep on the console, she glanced over and saw another of their pursuers wink out. It was destroyed trying to keep up with Rink's rather…exotic path.

_Yes, this fool did deserve to live…_

She turned her attention to the Imperial laying bleeding on the deck.

…_And some fools did not deserve such mercy._

She stood before Slynn; he was shaking his head, trying to clear away the cobwebs. He looked back at the pilot seat, seeing Rink sitting there.

He growled.

"That scum has no right to that seat, this is _**my**_ ship! I'm…_**ack!**_

Avaryss stopped him mid-sentence; she raised her hand, her fingers twisting into claws. She wrapped the Force around his throat like a garrote.

The man began to struggle, his fingers clawing at his throat.

A thought occurred to her in that moment, one she had not given credence to before.

She snarled.

"Who do you work for Slynn?"

"Feer," he coughed, "Our master."

Avaryss gave him a cruel smile.

"Anyone else, Lord Baras perhaps, Lord Terrog, do you work for one of our rivals? Maybe take a donation from them now and again?"

""I'm…I'm loyal…my…my…lord," he gasped.

She tightened her grip; she wanted him to feel this. She wanted to make it hurt.

"If you **are **loyal," she said grimly, "then you are also as clumsy as you are stupid."

Her rage was building, her anger boiling.

"Holli said you asked her to take the hyper drive off line back on Tatooine, We were almost caught there. And, now, here, our enemies seem to know our every move, and they have found us at every turn, how did they do that?"

Slynn did not answer; his face had gone from red and was starting to turn purple.

Avaryss did not let up, she was too angry to let up.

The ship shook underneath them, not a laser blast, but the shockwave from a close by explosion.

"Rink?" she called out, concerned.

"We're good, boss," he called back, "one of those nerf herders just struck a floating bill board, they were destroyed, still have two more behind us."

Can we clear the atmosphere; make a safe jump to hyper space?"

"Those surviving fighters could scan our trajectory; you worried about them tracking us back to Dromund Kaas?"

"Not a problem," she said, "We will make a micro jump to a random location and then make the jump to Dromund Kaas from there; it will throw off any pursuit."

"Clever" Rink said, "Did that before, did you?"

"I read it in a holo novel," she admitted.

He chuckled.

"Got to love those novels," he said dryly, "Give people such wonderful ideas."

She chuckled.

"Just fly the ship, Rink," she said.

"Gotcha, boss."

Avaryss smiled and turned her attention back to Slynn.

She gave him a contented smile.

"I don't know if you are a traitor, and personally I don't really care, but you have failed me for the last time, captain."

"Loy…al," he croaked, "Loy…al."

"So you say," she purred, her eyes glowing menacingly, "then consider this your final order for the good of the Empire."

She almost giggled as she closed her fist.

The man's neck crumbled, the vertebrae turned to dust.

He slumped down on the deck, his eyes staring up at nothing.

Avaryss smiled and stood over him, feeling both contented and liberated. The dark side was coursing through her like the highest grade of spice.

"For the Empire, Mister Slynn," she giggled.

"For the Empire."


	11. Risk and Reward

**A/N: Happy Star Wars Day everyone, May the Fourth be with you!**

**Chapter 11: Risk and Reward**

Almost a month had passed before Warmaster Feore finally figured out what was so special about the droid head Avaryss had recovered on Nar Shadda. During that time, she had returned to her duties as her master's apprentice, enforcing his will, and making sure that the enemies of House Feer understood her master's displeasure.

Some missions excited or pleased her; she enjoyed the sensation of dominating a supposedly superior foe; one who thought himself above her because of the place of her birth or her status as an apprentice.

Yes…some of those missions pleased, others…not so much.

Had she been asked, she would have suggested that they hold off on any vengeance or power plays until they knew what they had recovered on Nar Shadda. Who knew what the droid's programing might reveal, unfortunately, it was not up to her. Her master was a man of ambitions, and he was also nursing a vendetta.

It was impossible to ask him to abandon either.

The situation only grew worse a week after her return. One of Lord Feer's military food shipments was destroyed while in route to its destination. Apparently, it had been exposed to some sort of bacterium while in transit. The bacteria spread quickly, infecting and rotting everything on board within a matter of hours. The entire cargo had needed to be jettisoned, destroyed before the bacteria could spread to plant life on other world. The Imperial high command was not happy, that food shipment had been needed, and now it fell to House Feer to make things right.

Avaryss' master was livid.

He did not believe for one second that this had been some random incident, or accident. The bacteria had been too virulent to simply be something born in nature.

Lord Feer's eyes turned to Darth Terrog. Whose interest and skill in viral weaponry was second to none, he viewed what had happened as a cowardly attack, a slap in the face after Lord Feer had involved Darth Baras in their feud.

He began to plot a response, and Avaryss would be the tip of this sword.

"He seeks to embarrass us, not just before the military, but the dark council as well," Feer had growled, "That cyborg made me look weak before our Imperial allies. Now I will take away something of his, something that he values."

Warmaster Feore counselled patience, but Darth Feer would not be dissuaded.

He sent Avaryss in.

The plan was simple enough.

There was an alchemist named Aarb, the man had spent the last twenty years researching the design and powering of Sith amulets. The art had been thought lost since the days of Naga Sadow, but now it seems that it had been rediscovered. Darth Terrog's interest in such things was well known, it was said that this Aarb had created dozens of pieces for the dark lord, pieces that were now being used to enhance Terrog's work and his would-be apprentices.

Feer thought it more than fair that his rival should lose his pet alchemist. It seemed like a fair exchange to him, and plus, it would deny his rival any further advantage that the man's creations might give.

It had not been hard for Lord Feer to learn the location of the Alchemist's lab. He dispatched Avaryss to not only destroy all traces of the man's work, but to silence him as well. He would not have Terrog trying to reacquire the man later.

The small estate where Terrog kept his little pet was lightly guarded; still Avaryss took no chances... She brought Thranton Rink with her, his skill at…confounding security systems proved most useful.

She was inside and cutting her way through Terrog's men before they even realized that she was there.

After Nar Shadda, Avaryss had done much to reward Mister Rink for his service. She took him on, not only a member of House Feer, but granted him a commission in the Imperial Navy as a Flight Officer, which meant he would have access to not only her ship, but other Imperial hardware as well.

When Lady Synestra had first heard about the deal, she had given her husband's apprentice a sly look.

"The boy must have done much to amuse you," she had commented.

"He is a good pilot, and a driver," Avaryss had replied, "I have need of both."

The lady of House Feer laughed.

"So…you are pleased with the **rides** he gives you," she said dryly, "I should have known."

It was not hard for Lord Feer's apprentice to guess the lady's meaning.

It was all Avaryss could do to hold her temper in check.

_Why did people always go there?_ She wondered. _Why did they always assume that a relationship between a man and woman would turn romantic, or at the very least physical? She had no interest in Rink, not in __**that**__ way. Fehl had been enough for her, and with his death, that chapter of her life had closed, at least…for now._

She decided not to deny it. Let the woman believe what she would. Who knew, Rink might prove useful when she made her final move against House Feer.

She would let them think whatever they wanted about the two of them.

All it would do was keep her enemies off balance. Besides, Rink's heart belonged to another, she could feel that, it was as clear as day.

It was his abilities that intrigued her, nothing more.

The Imperial uniform she found for him suited him well, though he did choose a much larger coat than most officers and wore it open most of the time. A spit and polish military type would have frowned on that, but Avaryss could care less, provided Rink continued to produce results in her service.

So far…he had done just that.

From this point forward, he would serve as Avaryss' personal pilot and driver, and in exchange she agreed to help him find out what happened to his little Twi'lek girl, and provide him what he needed to build a new life for himself and his companion once he had fulfilled his usefulness to her.

Some might have called the terms too generous, but Avaryss preferred to err on the side of caution. A happy underling was a good underling, and Rink did more than earn his keep when he helped her breach Aarb's compound. His time on Nar Shadda had taught him quite a bit about neutralizing security systems, once that was done, he fell back to await her return while she cut a path through the alchemist's guards. Most were combat droids, but at least two appeared to have trained in the Sith arts, They, like Terrog, were larger than typical Sith, and possessed of an animalistic rage that made them very dangerous. It had proved to be an exciting contest, but in the end, both lay dead in the corridor outside the alchemist's lab, their heads separated from their bodies. Slaying the two had left Avaryss in an excited state, her bloodlust awakened by the violence.

She did not bother trying to breach the security door that blocked her path; she simply cut her way through with her lightsaber.

As stepped through the still smoldering opening, she found the Aarb the Alchemist crouched down behind his desk.

She smiled wickedly at him.

This, she thought, was going to be **fun!**

As she approached her prey, she noticed the various trinkets that he had been working on, felt the power of the dark side radiating from several of them.

The man was truly talented, she realized, it would be a shame to rid the Empire of him, but what could she do?

An order was an order.

The man cowered, trying to hide behind all his creations. She could sense the Force within him, but it was small, almost non-existent, she could see now why he worked so hard to create such wondrous things, but no amount of toys would make him stronger in the Force, it did not work that way.

"Are…are you here to kill me?" he stammered.

"Your master has insulted _my_ master," she said matter of factly; "I think we both know how this is going to end."

"It…it doesn't have to," he said, "You are clearly a powerful young woman. I…I have created something, or rather I've started working on something that you may find interesting, it…it is yours if you agree to spare my life."

Avaryss suppressed a laugh.

The man was actually trying to bargain? Still…she could not deny that she was tempted. Of course, if her master found out she would surely be punished.

She had no desire to experience that again.

"I do not doubt your skill," she informed him, "but that does not change my master's orders. He would not be pleased if I spared your life."

As she approached she felt a slight shift in the Force, a ripple if you will. She continued to watch Aarb, the man seemed intent on holding her attention.

He is baiting a trap, she thought, she reached out with the Force trying to sense what it was, she…

Her right hand shot out, she heard a sharp gasp as she caught someone hiding behind several large crates.

Aarb's reaction was instantaneous.

"NO!" He gasped leaping from cover, "NO! PLEASE!"

Avaryss stopped him with an equally strong grip, pleased that she could manage two at once.

She smiled.

I'm getting _**stronger**_, she realized, holding two prisoners at once should have been taxing, but she felt little strain at all.

It seemed her master was true to his word.

His teachings did have positive benefits.

She used the Force to lift her would be ambusher out of hiding. Aarb was gasping trying to stop her, struggling against her grip, his reaction surprised her, at least until she realized who and what it was that had been hiding behind those crates. She glanced over, only just being able to hide a look of surprise.

"Daddy?"

The girl looked to be about ten years old, she floated before both Avaryss and her father like a bug caught in amber. She could feel the girl's fear shining like a beacon through the Force. It was so strong that the young one did not even try to struggle.

Avaryss was shocked. For a moment she could not move.

She found herself trapped in a nightmare.

"Spare her, my lord," the alchemist cried out, "Please! She…she is all I have left in this world! I beg of you! Please do not harm my little girl!"

Avaryss blinked.

She was no longer standing in the alchemist's compound; she was back on her home world of Oridanna. She was facing a disgraced overseer while Sith Trooper restrained his daughter. Darth Feer had ordered this man's death; it was her duty to carry it out.

_You've moved past this,_ the dark side within snarled, _it is not your past, the girl that this happened to is long dead, blissfully forgotten. Enjoy this moment, kill the child in front of her father, revel in his pain and hopelessness, and then grant him a quick death; that is all the mercy that such a man deserves._

She shuddered.

Her eyes darted back and forth between the two, the girl and her father, yet in that moment they looked so much like Keera and Andur Lylos.

She shook her head.

Had her master _known_ about this? Had he known what she would have to do?

It wasn't right?

It wasn't fair?!

Her anger continued to build.

"Daddy," little girl whimpered, "Help."

The Alchemist whimpered, yet in that moment he was trying to be brave, trying to give his child hope, right up until the end.

"It will be okay, dear," he said trying to smile, "Daddy loves you."

Avaryss' eyes narrowed.

She did not hear "Daddy loves you," she heard the words "I love you Blossom."

Those words were burned into her heart, her very soul. They were Keera's father's last words to his daughter, to _**his**_ little girl.

Anger turned to rage, yet it was not directed at the Alchemist and his daughter.

It was directed at her master, at Darth Feer.

She could see his cruel grinning face floating before her.

She was filled with an almost uncontrollable urge to smash that smile into splinters; to drive that face from her memory for all time.

Had he been standing there at that moment, he would have tasted Force lightning.

_How dare you_, she thought, _how dare you put me in this position? Was this all some kind of test? Did he think it was amusing to put her in a position to face her own past? Had she not dealt with this nightmare on Korriban? Had she not proven she was worthy?!_

Perhaps he had not known that this man had a daughter, perhaps he had not thought of it at all, maybe he simply saw her now only as a weapon, his weapon.

She smiled cruelly.

If that was the case he was in for big surprise.

She looked over at the alchemist.

"You offered me something in exchange for your life, for _both_ your lives," she said coldly, professionally, "What was it?"

She felt the alchemists fear drop considerably, he must have sensed the shift in her. He was still under threat, but now he knew she was open to talk shop, to do business.

His desire burned like a beacon, he sought only to protect his child from her.

"I do have something," he admitted, " a helmet, mask, and bracer, I was making it for a specific client, to help shield them from an attack by a more powerful Force user, but it could just as well serve you as them. The designs are on the holo-projector on the table if you wish to see them."

She released the alchemist, but made sure that he was aware that she had not released the grip on his daughter. If he tried anything funny they would both die, and she would feel no shame doing so, since she had offered him a way out, and he decided to act the fool.

She nodded.

"I'm interested," she said, "Let's talk business."

The man grinned and bowed respectfully.

"As you wish, my lord," he said respectfully.

"Right this way."

IOI

An hour later the alchemist's home was in flames; another one of Dromund Kaas' rainstorms had come up so there was little chance of the fire spreading. Avaryss left the facility alone. She used her comlink to summon Mister Rink. The mission was completed. Darth Terrog had suffered a bloody nose today.

Everything was burning, except for a single large packing crate just outside the estates back entrance, it was large enough to fit two people, and a bit of the alchemist's research snuggly. Ten minutes after the fire started, a transport ship arrived and picked up the crate, taking it to secure location. The men who loaded it wore the colors of no house, but that was by design. Avaryss had used the man's hyper comm to contact Taya, who in turn had contacted her father. As far as the baron knew, he was doing a favor for Lord Feer; the alchemist would be kept safe and hidden and allowed to work. His daughter would serve as a hostage, but a well-treated one, she would be a servant in Taya's family's household while the work was being done. The girl would come to no harm and would be returned to her father upon completion of his task for Avaryss. After that, they would be free to go, they could not remain on Dromund Kaas, but at least the man and his child would have their lives, provided they wished to leave of course. Taya's father had been excited to get someone as skilled as the alchemist in his service; he might even offer the man a contract if his work proves as formidable as it seemed. Who knew, in the end, the man might not even want to leave.

Avaryss felt a surge of excitement as she made her way back to House Feer.

There was risk in what she had done, but at the same time, without risk there was no reward. Feer had put her in this position, and in doing so had reminded her that they were still enemies, even if he had forgotten that point.

She smiled as she climbed back into the speeder. Rink gunned the engine, and they were on their way back to the Feer estate.

What she had done tonight had excited her, she was almost glowing.

She looked forward to seeing what Aarb would come up with, protection against the attacks of a powerful Force user, he had promised. If he delivered, she would be most pleased.

She found herself thinking of her master, the lesson he had taught her this night.

Thank you for reminding me, my lord, she thought to herself.

Thank you for helping to hasten your own demise.

She laughed at the thought; Rink glanced over at her, but said nothing.

She smiled at him.

"We need to find pleasures in the small things, Mister Rink," she informed him.

Of course, small things could become big if given the proper time, and time is what she had.

She was Sith.

She was nothing if not patient.

IOI

After what had happened, she spent the next few weeks waiting for the blade to fall. Every time she met with her master, Avaryss expected to be punished. Days turned to weeks, and he seemed to remain ignorant of what had happened.

Avaryss was still not sure what to make of that.

Had she managed to fool her master? Was he so focused on Terrog, and the droid head that he had missed her moment of rebellion? She remained on guard, but gave no clue of what had happened. She had no desire to tip her master off to what she had done when she had spared the man's life.

Perhaps he does not know me as well as he thinks, she thought with a hint of a smile.

Perhaps it was possible to fool her beloved master.

By the time that her master and War Master Feore summoned her for a report of what he had discovered about the droid head, she had come to feel more confident than ever.

It seems that her little rebellion had been missed, that she had successfully hid the truth from her master.

She was eager to find out what else she might accomplish. Who knew what else she might be able to slip past him.

The day of the War master's report was an enlightening one. She found herself attending a briefing with not only her master, but several other Sith Lords as well. She recognized two of them from her dealings over the previous months, both were allies of House Feer. The new arrival was unknown to her a pure blood female with black tattooing on her face. Her master introduced her as Lord Infami, a recent recruit in his struggles to expand their houses power.

After a brief introduction, the war master proceeded with what he had learned.

It proved to be most enlightening.

The droid head she recovered on Nar Shadda sat on a large table in the center of the communication room, the wires in its neck plugged into a small computer terminal, which fed what it was receiving on a large holographic screen. Next to the head sat three other droid heads that Avaryss did not recognize, they too were interfaced, the data stored on their memory cores broadcast across their own screens.

Warmaster Feore let the computers scan for a few minutes more, before pausing all four screens on a small block of text. A block that was identical from all four droids.

The war master smiled triumphantly.

He had found what they were searching for.

"The program was well hidden," he informed the gathered lords, "It is not surprising that no one has caught it yet. My team and I missed it several times; it was only through one last ditch effort that we discovered this at all. As you can see, all four droids contained this program, and it is important to note that they appear to have nothing in common, they were all built by different companies, at different times, and in some cases on entirely different worlds."

"What is it," Feer asked, "Some form of espionage programing?"

"It is nothing so simplistic," the war master answered, "It is a series of commands that records everything the droid hears and sees, and when the time is right, prompts the droid to send that information out along a seemingly unrelated communications channels that lead to a central carrier signal."

Avaryss eyes widened, she might not have bene an expert in droids, but she understood what Feore was saying.

"They're microphones," she said.

The Warmaster smiled and nodded.

"Someone has turned these droids into microphones. They've been recording all our secrets!"

Again Feore nodded.

Darth Feer glared at the droid heads.

"How?" he demanded, "How has this been done?"

"I'm still working on determining that," the old pure blood said, "As I said, these droids appear to have nothing in common, they are from different owners, had been built on different worlds, but the same program is presence in all their systems.

He shook his head.

"It is a mystery, but it shall be solved in time."

Feer guests looked at each other, apparently the other droids had come from their Houses.

They were not pleased with the news.

In truth, Avaryss was not pleased either.

Droids were everywhere. They were out in the street, working within every business and Sith House on Dromund Kaas, if even half of them had this program running inside them.

The Empire itself was in danger; all their secrets may have been breached.

She was clearly not alone in thinking along those lines; the lords that joined them also looked concerned.

"How did these espionage droids miss our security checks," one of the lords demanded.

"Indeed," Lord Infami said with a feral look on her face. "My droid was inspected before it entered my service, this program could not have been there when it was purchased."

"Actually it probably was," Feore said.

Feer gave him a curious look.

"Explain, old friend."

Feore entered a few commands on his data pad, all four screens changed.

"When a droid first goes online, it brain evolves quickly, it solves dozens of problems in mere seconds, self-correcting any issue that might affect its function. A droid learns how to walk and talk in seconds of becoming active, but those original programs that helped it reach that point are not erased, they are shunted into file in the droid's brain until they are needed again. It is a basic function, any droid, regardless of position or programming possesses this secure file."

"Why not erase them," Avaryss asked, "If they are no longer needed, what is the point of keeping them?"

"Mainly for when the droid receives a complete memory wipe. The memory core is left as a blank slate, but basic programming is still needed to keep the droid from having to be rotated out of service. It simply accesses the old files, and relearns its basic functions, and adapts them to its new personality. The file, the one that contains this spy protocol is safe within that file; these programs are stored in a place where they are never erased, the file is necessary to keep the droid from developing quirks when they are wiped."

Avaryss grinned.

"So the espionage program has been hidden among those files. Most programmers see them as redundant, so they don't bother to check their contents?"

"Yes," Feore replied, "Think of it as a droid subconscious. The program runs silently within the droid, and its carrier is never the wiser. The droid fulfills its duties, and it has no idea it is spying on its master."

The old pure blood nodded.

"It is quite ingenious, if I do say so myself.

Avaryss looked at her master and his fellow lords; they did not seem to share the war master's opinion.

"Who is doing this?" Infami asked.

"I'm not sure yet," Feore answered, "I'm not sure yet how this program got into the droids, so it is impossible to guess who has been receiving this information."

"Can we isolate the carrier signal these droids are using?" Avaryss asked.

"Net yet," Feore replied, "As I said, these droids all have different functions, the information certainly must go to main carrier frequency, but we have not found it yet."

The other lords looked at Darth Feer; they all looked ready to start casting blame, no doubt thinking of blaming one of their many enemies.

Avaryss said nothing, but she had her own idea what was going on.

"What do we do, my lord," one of the lords demanded.

"Indeed," the second said, "If our own droids are spying on us, surely we must…"

"We must do, nothing," Feer said flatly.

That statement stopped all conversation.

Avaryss' master smiled.

"For the moment, whoever is responsible for this likely has no idea that we are on to them. We should keep it that way, for the time being. Your droids will be reassembled, and you will continue with business as usual, or at the very least appear to be continuing."

Lord Infami smiled.

"We could use this as a means of giving our enemies false information, or perhaps provided information on our rivals, information that might make things difficult for them."

Feer nodded.

"That is one use to be sure," he agreed, "As a Darth of the Sith Empire, I shall take personal charge of this investigation; we clearly cannot allow this to continue. My House will get to the bottom of this, and find the culprits."

"We would be most grateful, my lord," Infami said bowing her head, "The Empire itself would be most grateful."

"I live to serve the Empire," Feer said grinning slyly, "For a time, may I suggest that you not discuss this with anyone, secrecy must be maintained, at least for the time being.

The other lords nodded, accepting Feer's appraisal of the situation.

Avaryss frowned.

She was not sure that she agreed. Yet, she was smart enough not to speak of her misgivings in front of her masters guests. It was clear that the Empire was under threat. Whoever had planted these droids had proven to be both cunning and ruthless.

Defeating them would not be an easy challenge.

She said nothing until the other lords had left, and even then waited until she and her master were alone.

He must have sensed her disquiet thoughts.

He turned to her with a frown.

"What troubles you, my child," he asked, "You look nervous."

"Should we not inform the dark council of this breach, my master," she inquired, "It sounds as if we have stumbled onto something big, perhaps it would be wiser to involve them."

Feer chuckled.

"Ever the patriot, eh, Avaryss?"

She frowned.

She was a patriot, she did not deny that. She had been raised to love the Empire, to seek its protection and defense. As powerful as House Feer was, it was still a single house. This problem may prove to be empire wide.

The Empire should be united to deal with it.

"We are not the only house threatened by this, my lord," she reminded him, "If this is as wide spread as it seems to be…"

"Which is all more reason to keep things quiet," he said, "If we involve the dark council, it will open this matter up for debate, the Darths will bicker over what to do, and those that are unwilling to talk will flail at the problem and make things worse for all of us. Some may even accuse their rivals of being a part of it, and seek to use this as an excuse to obliterate them. This information could be a time bomb, apprentice, by telling others we might light the fuse that causes the entire empire to implode."

Avaryss nodded, her master's reasoning was sound, but still…

"We have an opportunity here," Feer said grinning, "Why do you think Baras was involved, why do you think he wanted the droid head?"

Avaryss gave him an arched look.

"You think he _**knows**_ about this?"

"I think he _suspects_, and if he does, then it is possible that Lord Vengean does as well, Baras would not risk his master's displeasure by hiding something this big."

"You think he might be using this to destabilize his own enemies?"

"It is possible," Feer agreed, "Baras is a very clever man. Perhaps he even thought to try to take control of…whatever it is that we have stumbled upon."

Her master gave her a hungry look.

"That is what _**I **_intend to do apprentice. I wish to turn this problem to our advantage. It cannot stay secret forever, but we might as well get some use out of it, while we can."

Avaryss frowned.

"What about the culprits, they will not simply let us seize their spy program, and if it is who I think it is, we will have to rip it from their cold dead hands."

Feer's eyes glinted with excitement.

"You have your own theory on who is responsible for this outrage?"

Avaryss nodded.

It was not that hard to figure out.

Who benefitted from knowing Imperial secrets, who wished to see the Empire harmed as a whole? Whose intelligence agents had grabbed Thranton Rink, and tortured him.

Yes, Avaryss had an idea of who was behind this.

She was most eager to make them pay.

"This is a violation of the Treaty of Coruscant," she said, "The dark council must be told."

"And they will be, but when it benefits us the most, apprentice," Feer said putting his arm around her.

"Tell me, should we drop a problem into the council's lap, or should we present them with a story of our victory. How we discovered the problem, solved it, and brought those responsible to heel. Which outcome do you think the council will be happier with?"

Avaryss considered what he was saying, she even smiled.

"They would prefer hearing that we found a solution to the problem," she agreed.

"Now imagine the gratitude they would feel," he added, his voice becoming silky, more seductive, "What rewards would they offer us for dealing with the matter for them?"

Avaryss' grin blossomed into a full smile. In that moment, she set her hatred for her master aside; she would need him to work the angles here on Dromund Kaas while she dealt with the problem off world.

Somethings were worth putting your hatred aside for, at least temporarily.

"We would be heroes," she said, her crimson eyes flashing, "We would be Heroes of the Empire!"

"And our rewards would be great, a seat on the council for me, and a full lordship for you, maybe even a chance to become a Darth."

He gave her arm a joyful squeeze.

"Tell me my dear, how would you like to become a Darth before your nineteenth birthday?"

The thought made her shudder with pleasure.

_Darth Avaryss._

She had thought it a goal for much later in her life, a lordship she could have early on, but if she did this, she might just be able to become one of the youngest Darths in the Empire.

_Could she pass that opportunity up?_

_**Who**__ could?_

"You will need to keep things spinning for us here," she said, "When Warmaster Feore learns who created this spy program, we will need to move quickly, and quietly, before our rivals get wind of it."

"Agreed," Her master said, "I will keep them..._occupied_."

He gave her a warm look.

"So tell me, my dear, do you want to be a good little Sith, or a Hero of the Empire?

Avaryss smiled slyly.

_Did he really have to ask?_

She nodded eagerly.

"As soon as we have a target, I'll be ready," she promised.

"I will hunt the culprits down and destroy them."

"I know you will," he said, "You are mine."

"Yes I am," she said letting him lead her, happy to be in service, at least for now.

"I'm ready," she said smiling.

"Let's be heroes."


	12. Lessons

**Chapter 12: Lessons**

Ruby lights danced as Avaryss worked through her lightsaber drills. She slipped deeper and deeper into the dark side until the blade was nothing less than an extension of her hand. The moves that she had learned back on Fury 9 were almost second nature at this point, and now, driven by the power of the dark side, the three lightsaber forms she had studied were as devastating as they were perfect.

Her blade hummed and hissed as a light drizzle fell gently over the Feer compound, steam rose from her lightsaber blade with every drop that found it. Storms were always a threat on a jungle world, but in that moment rain and wind meant nothing to the apprentice of Darth Feer. She was nothing less than an extension of the dark side, her blade and will were one…

…And in that moment, her will wanted nothing more than to begin her next mission.

The House of Feer was on lockdown, nothing in or out. Warmaster Feore continued his research into what they had learned about the secret program that was hidden within the droids of the Empire. He continued to have droids brought into the compound, likely…_borrowed _from other houses and businesses. According to him, six out of every ten of the droids he had examined had the hidden program. It was safe to say the Empire had been breached.

"Only our war droids seemed unaffected," he had noted, "Of course, a war droids programing is gone over far more than a protocol or serving model. No soldier wants to take the field with a droid who might go psychotic because of a programming glitch."

Avaryss acknowledged that, but also recognized that it was more than that. War droids were generally not allowed in the homes of High Lords of the Empire.

_Whoever was behind this was targeting the Sith Lords directly. Everything about this plan suggested that the whole point of it was to destabilize the leadership of the Empire._

If this was so, then it made sense that those responsible would not try to infect the Empire's war droids. If their plan continued they would not need to worry about the Imperial army.

The Empire would implode on its own.

As she continued to work through her battle drills, Avaryss let her mind wander, let the dark side carry it wherever it would.

She had no doubt that the Republic was involved in this, or at the very least, members of Republic intelligence. What had occurred at the SIS safe house on Tatooine had all but cemented that opinion in her mind; it felt right, right and undeniable.

Now the only question was: How far would the Republic SIS go to defend their little project? She did not doubt that she would face them again once her master finally gave her the go ahead to start this mission.

They would do what they could to try and stop her, but would they go so far to try to bring the Jedi into this little plan of theirs.

That thought excited her more than any other.

She had faced a fallen Padawan back on _Butcher's Clearing_, fought and defeated him, or at the very least drove him to commit suicide.

Facing a Jedi, one as dedicated to his order as she was to hers, would be a challenge.

It was a challenge that she was eager to meet.

In that moment her mind's eye focused on the alien Padawan, a Nautolan he had been called, an amphibious creature…

Her red eyes widened, a thought occurred to her, one that she had not considered until that moment.

She remembered **that** battle; it had been one of the defining moments of her training. She remembered what the alien had said about being part of some plan to bring down the Empire. How some mysterious master would bring the Empire crashing down around her?

She put one and one together.

Could the Padawan have been part of this? Could this droid scheme be part of a much larger plan? Could the Jedi Order be involved? Were they directing this from afar?

It was possible. From her readings she knew that all Jedi were liars. They craved power, but they hid it behind some false sense of self-righteousness. They claimed to be defenders while the whole time cozying up the Republic Senate and military. They showed no initiative. They could have made the Republic a paradise, but instead chose to allow corrupt politicians to shape the destiny of the Republic. They allowed those politicians to run wild without any true oversight, and as a result, made themselves appear invaluable to the Republic. They courted chaos so that they could leap into the fray that they were responsible for, and claim that they were protecting the weak and the innocent.

On one hand, such cunning should have been admired, but considering what they did to preserve their power, it was clear why their order had to be destroyed.

The Jedi, she had heard, considered themselves guardians of the peace; it was their greatest lie and _failure._

_Peace_ was a lie, but _order_ was attainable, if one was strong enough to bring it into being. A true Sith, with his or her passions to guide her, would be able to achieve that order. It was the duty of the strong to rule, and for the weak to follow. Most of the Sith's allies understood that, the Mandaloreans understood that, that is why they followed the Sith as allies. The mysterious Chiss understood, so much in fact that they continued to send their sons and daughters to serve in Imperial ranks. The Hutts claimed neutrality, but in time, once the Republic was defeated, they would bow as well, it was inevitable. As for the common people of the galaxy, Avaryss had no problem with them; there was no need to make them suffer without cause. The truly innocent, those who understood their place were safe. As for those that reached too far, the corrupt and arrogant, the politicians and bureaucrats that dared question Sith rule, they needed to understand fear. Terror would keep them honest, and in line, then there would be no reason to allow the spread of chaos as the Jedi did.

At least we Sith are honest, she thought, we don't pretend or coddle the weak, we come to bring order and security, we don't hide behind a shield of false friendship and compassion.

Of course, the Sith were not perfect, she had to admit that. Darth Feer had proven that with the death of her family. A wise ruler would have spoken with the overseers first, gaged their reaction to his rule. Had he done that, he would have realized that there were those within his former adversary's holdings that were worth saving.

Andur Lylos would have served her master well, given the chance. Of course, if he had been, she would not be here, would she?

The Force truly moved in mysterious ways.

I must remember these lessons as I move forward, Avaryss thought. I must become better than Lord Feer. When I finally come into my inheritance, when I finally possess all that was once my master's, I will show the Empire how a true Sith aristocrat rules. I will bring justice, order, and security to my holdings. My people will both love me for my strong hand, and stalwart protection, and fear my wrath when it is awakened. I will bring true order to my small corner of the chaotic galaxy, and in time, all will bow to me in humble gratitude.

It was a pleasant dream, but for now that was all it was, a dream.

That is for the future, her conscience chided, focus on the now.

She nodded, and returned her attention to her drills, speculation on the future right now was a waste of time. The mission was what was important; she needed to find answers to the many questions she had discovered since returning from Nar Shadda.

She would be able to seek her answers soon enough, just as soon as her master dispatched her.

_Just pick a target already_, she thought.

_I'm ready for action!_

Her interceptor and crew were on stand-by at the Kaas City spaceport. Both Rink and Holli would be ready to go at a moment's notice. As soon as they had a target, they would be off to deal with it. Mister Rink had sent her a few messages; he had had some ideas to enhance the performance of their ship. After clearing them through Holli she had agreed to several of them. Speaking of Holli, Avaryss had recently dropped an interesting challenge into the young engineer's lap.

Her newly purchased HK droid had finally arrived from Tatooine. The Jawas' has been true to their word, and now Avaryss had a chance to add a dangerous new weapon to her arsenal.

Provided that Holli could get it to work, the engineer was not too optimistic about her chances. She thought the droid an old HK-50 model, parts were not readily available for such an old machine, and it would take some work adapting modern materials to the old droid.

Avaryss insisted that she try anyway. She had faith, if the engineer could not do it, so be it, but if she could…

…the droid might prove quite useful.

Avaryss took her drills to the next level, she called on the Force and used it to increase her speed, to the unenlightened; it would have looked like she had become a blur, a shadow mixed with a strange whirling red light.

It was not difficult to find the heart of darkness, to go to the place that made such a feat possible. Her frustration of not being able to start her mission, her feelings towards her master and his family, these all brought her closer and closer to the true pulsing power of the dark side.

She welcomed its cold embrace. It left her hungry, hungry and scoured clean. She felt the weakness of the light retreat when she found that cold dark center, she welcomed these moments, the freedom of them.

Once again, she tried to reach out to her fallen lover. Fehl's death remained one of the true great tragedies of her life, but it was also a tragedy that she could remedy, provided she could find a way to bring his spirit back to her.

Avaryss reached out, trying to sense him, trying to find what had once been Fehl and pull it to her.

Again, she was met with failure.

The anger of that failure only deepened her connection, feeding it.

Where are you, she wanted to scream, I know you remain close to me.

SHOW YOURSELF!

She hated this, back on Korriban; it had been Fehl's spirit that had finally given her the strength to break through the mental barriers that had cut her off from her powers for a time. She had sensed it, felt his power, his hungry desire for her.

That desire…it should have been enough to bring him back to her.

Her connection to Darth Feer had allowed her access too many hidden or forgotten texts, she had learned much since her coming to Dromund Kaas; among them were ancient scrolls and manuscripts discussing the art of essence transfer. Avaryss had come to believe that she could use that power to have her lover back, to restore him to true life. All she would require would be his spirit, and a male body that was both strong in the Force, and physically appealing to her. Once she had all those elements, she would draw Fehl's spirit out of the madness beyond death, and place it within a new strong body, and then reunited once more; they would build a new future for themselves, and the empire.

The thought made her smile.

She told no one of her plans; she doubted that they would understand. Few Sith would risk bringing back one as powerful as Fehl, especially one who had been gone so long. It was said, that in death, a Sith's unbound spirit could be lost within the dark side itself, that it could be consumed by an unending madness, but at the same time, this place was near the heart of the dark side. Who knew what secrets that Fehl's spirit had been exposed to, who knew what secrets he would bring back with him when she finally returned him to the world of the living.

We will be invincible, she thought, we will be indomitable, and no one in the galaxy will be able to stop us.

The thought held great appeal to her, she welcomed their reunion, but at the same time she recognized the need for caution.

She needed to find just the right body. Fehl deserved nothing less than the best.

She would have to tread very carefully, once she had found his spirit of course, and then the real work could begin.

It might have worked better had she known what had happened to his body, but sadly, there were no records, all she had was a few trinkets of their time together and so far, that had not been enough.

_I __**need **__to grow stronger_, she realized, _only then will I have the power to save my beloved and return him to my arms._

Through power I gain victory.

Through victory, my chains are broken.

The code of the Sith told her all she needed to know.

She would see that they all came to pass.

A small chime signaled on her wrist, she looked down, the small chrono she was wearing was beeping in alarm; her allotted training time had ended.

She sighed and lowered her weapon, deactivating her lightsaber and returning it to her belt.

It had seemed like hardly any time had passed at all, but in truth she had been out here for almost two hours. Her face was dripping with sweat, her arms burned from exertion, but for the most part, she still felt strong.

The dark side did much to restore its disciples; she probably could have gone another hour without feeling the effects.

She grinned.

I am growing stronger, she thought. One day, I will finally be strong enough to face and replace my master.

She would welcome that day with open arms.

She returned to the estate, no doubt her master would wish to speak with her soon, hopefully he would have good news.

Hopefully, Warmaster Feore would have a target for her.

She was not sure how much longer she could stand climbing the walls in this place.

She needed action.

She was more than ready to begin.

IOI

As she sought out her master, the hum of training sabers caught Avaryss' attention; she paused in her search and followed; eager to see what was going on. She was drawn to a small terrace off the main receiving area; it was there that the battle was taking place.

Avaryss watched as Lady Synestra and Bael sparred with each other, clad in training suits similar to those worn on Korriban, mother and son fought back and forth. The low powered training blades spat and hissed as her master's son lunged in again and again, trying to break through his mother's defenses. Synestra gave ground, letting her son try and take advantage, though, to Avaryss' trained eye, it was clear that she had not been forced to duel for her life in a while.

The young Sith shook her head.

Master Adaz, Avaryss' first teacher and true mentor, had been a true blade master, in a way; she had loved and respected the vicious old Kath Hound. He had inspired not only her drive to excel in swordplay, but also filled her with a desire to evaluate and understand the nuances of lightsaber combat. Many a time she had stood at his side during her short stint as squad leader on Fury 9, watched and helped evaluate the skill of incoming hopefuls.

What she saw out of Bael did not impress her.

It was rare that she got to face Darth Feer blade upon blade, the few times that they had, he had beaten her easily. When she **did** have a chance to spar, her master usually had her face off with two of his own training droids; wicked things armed with lightsabers and cudgels. They could be quite lethal to the uneducated. She found those duels interesting, but had not really ever felt in danger. Master Adaz had trained her well, prepared her to meet such challenges, only another Force user could likely challenge her now.

That knowledge only made her want to be off on her mission even more. She longed to test herself against a true enemy.

As she watched she became aware of a shift in the Force. She bowed her head respectfully.

"My master," she murmured.

Darth Feer came up beside her. The dark lord said nothing, merely joined her in watching Lady Synestra and Bael's duel.

He sighed.

"What do you think, my child," he said, "Will my son lead a Sith army into battle one day?"

Avaryss was not sure how best to respond. Surely her master must be able to see the truth.

She worried her lower lip with her teeth.

"It is not my place to speak out against your family, my master," she said respectfully.

"True," he agreed, "But you are expected to give an honest answer when your master asks you a question. So, by all means, speak your mind."

Avaryss sighed.

This would not end well, she feared.

"His understanding of Shi-Cho is that of an amateur," she said, "His moves are sloppy. He seems to have some understanding of Ataru, but without the basics, he will be more of a danger to himself than his enemy."

Feer nodded. He had made no comment on her opinion, so perhaps he had given what she had said credence.

"Synestra," he called out.

The lady motioned for her son to lower his blade, just as she lowered hers.

"Yes, husband," she said.

Feer gave her a sly look.

"Give Avaryss your training blade," he ordered, "I want to see how Bael handles himself against my apprentice."

Both Avaryss and Synestra's eyes widened.

Bael looked back and forth between his mother and his father's apprentice; a hungry smile came to the boy's face. Avaryss knew that he had wanted to dominate her for so long, he was clearly eager to take this chance.

His mother was not so excited.

""My darling," she said to her husband, "Perhaps this is not…"

"A good idea," Feer said smiling, "Perhaps, perhaps not, never the less, I wish to see what my boy can do. Both of them have been training today, I will see which is the better student, my son, or my little stray as you have called her in the past."

Synestra snorted, she looked more than unhappy with this.

Bael, however, looked ecstatic!

"I will do as you command, father," he said sneering confidently, "You will see how strong mother has made me."

"I'm sure I will," Feer agreed nodding.

Lady Synestra said nothing, but from the cold glare that she was giving Avaryss, what she was thinking was quite clear, the unspoken warning as plain as day.

_Hurt my son and you will __**suffer.**_

Avaryss frowned.

She did not see any way that she could make this work to her advantage. If she _let_ Bael win, she was sure that her master would know and he would punish her. If she was victorious, Lady Feer would insist that she be punished, and in the interest of peace within the family, Lord Feer would do just that.

Her eyes narrowed.

She saw no way to win this.

Feer turned away from his family for a moment as Avaryss began to make her way down to face Bael. Lord Feer briefly stopped her, his hand gently touching her arm, restraining her.

"Do no _permanent_ damage," he ordered her, "I wish my son humiliated, not crippled."

Avaryss nodded.

She could do that...

…Though she suspected that it would not matter to Lady Feer.

It would be yet another reason that her master's wife would hate her.

Synestra said nothing as she handed Avaryss her training blade. Again the lady flashed a cold look. No doubt already planning what punishment the apprentice would endure if her son was seriously injured.

Avaryss looked at Bael as she might look at anything she found distasteful.

He grinned manically at her.

"Hold nothing back," he said, "For I will not."

She gave him a weak smile.

"As you say; young master."

Avaryss dropped into a Makashi guard, Bael; the double handed grip of Ataru.

She activated the blade on its lowest setting.

She did not think this would take very long.

Bael lunged at her.

She deflected his attack, and struck back with one of her own. Somehow, he managed just enough precognition with the Force to keep from being caught on the leg during their first exchange.

Bael fell back as she advanced he tried to strike at her again. She parried, but this time he attempted something fancy, switching quickly between Ataru and Djem-So, he brought his blade up and around hard.

It was a move she could have blocked after only her first month at Fury 9. Even without the Force she could have seen it coming from a kilometer away.

She sighed.

_For someone who had been training in the dark side since he was a toddler, she expected…well __**more.**_

She dared a look at Darth Feer and Lady Synestra, they stood at each other's side, watching as the two apprentices broke off and prepared to engage again.

Her master was unreadable, even through the Force.

Bael came at her again, this time trying to cut her legs out from beneath her. She again parried his attack, and using the finesse of Makashi drove him back easily.

She saw an opening to end their duel but did not take it. She got the feeling that the boy had showed her that opening, hoping that she would bite. Despite his lack of skill, he was still her master's son.

Feer could be deviously clever, Bael might not have possessed his father's intellect, but he was cunning enough to bait a simple trap.

Avaryss was determined not to fall into it.

Even the dumbest of predators could be dangerous, she knew, Bael might not be skilled or smart, but he had enough killer instinct to surprise her if she was not mindful.

Again he broke off his attack, this time she did not lunge in; she stayed back, evaluating his next move.

Her muscles were still sore from her own workout; this fight was doing little to let them recover.

Bael grinned at her.

"Tired already Avaryss," he taunted, "I'm just starting to get warmed up."

She said nothing.

She had no desire to engage him in witty banter. Her master said to humiliate him.

That is exactly what she intended to do.

He stepped in again on the left, weary of this, she moved in, ready end it.

Bael stepped away and…

Avaryss gasped.

As she closed in, Bael bounded away again, but this time he reached out with the Force, and seized one of the room lights, it shifted on its axis.

The light shone right into Avaryss' eyes.

She yelped in both pain and surprise!

She staggered back, shielding her eyes with her off hand. She almost lost her training blade, when…

"AHHHHH!"

She cried out as Bael struck her in the shoulder with his weapon, her sword arm burned and started to go dead. She was still half blind, and been unable to block.

She heard her master's son laugh.

"VICTORY!" he shouted, cackling!

"I've beaten you! I've-URK!"

Avaryss roared. Fury flashed in her crimson eyes.

She had had enough!

Though her sword arm was failing her, her rage still gave her enough strength for one last attack.

She tore the training blade from the little rodent's hands. As he reached out to call it back, she brought her own training blade down across his wrist; he attempted a Force push, with his other hand so she chopped her blade down on that one as well.

Bael cried out in agony, as she dropped to his knees, wailing and whimpering.

She seized him in a Force grip, stopping his whimpering. She started to wrap the Force around his throat like a garrote.

Filthy, perverted, little…!

"AVARYSS!"

Her master's voice was like the crack of a whip! It pulled her back from the red haze of rage and vengeance!

She stopped, panting, unable to lift her right arm. She stood still as her nerveless fingers released the training blade.

Darth Feer moved to her side. His expression was…amused.

"Mother!" Bael cried, "Mother!"

Synestra rushed around, trying to reach her son.

"LEAVE HIM!"

Darth Feer's command stopped her; she glared angrily at both her husband and his apprentice.

Feer remained where he was, unmoved.

"Our son," Synestra hissed venomously, "Our poor boy…"

"Is not permanently damaged," Feer said back with equal coldness. "His hands are paralyzed, and will be for an hour or so. He will recover."

Feer looked down at Bael still whimpering, he shook his hands, trying to get them to work.

Lord Feer did not look pleased.

"Stop your sniveling," he growled, "You are my son. You will **act **like it."

Bael looked up anger flashing in his eyes. He sniffled but was silent.

His father nodded pleased.

"This was not a contest of the Force," he reminded his son, "Yet, your gambit was nearly successful. Avaryss was blinded, left vulnerable. Had you struck at her neck or ribs, she would have been disabled, unable to resist you."

Lord Feer sneered.

"Yet you chose to strike at her weapon arm, it was foolish to try to cripple a superior opponent, when you could have achieved true victory with a better placed strike. If I had not stepped in she might have done worse than simply paralyzing your hands."

Bael said nothing, he with breathing hard; looking angrier than Avaryss had ever seen him. His eyes shone with angry tears, but he did not cry.

He glared at the girl who had injured him.

Avaryss glared right back.

He was lucky that his father was here.

He was damn lucky.

Feer turned to her.

"You should not have toyed with him," He said, "Your experience gave you an edge, but you did not take advantage of it, and it nearly cost you victory."

He gave her a disapproving look.

"Your rage proved stronger, this time, but you could just have easily lost had he struck better. You were a fool not to end it when you saw an opportunity."

Avaryss said nothing.

She was in no shape to argue, angry at herself for falling for such a basic gambit.

She was ashamed.

Bael had made her look foolish in front of her master.

It was degrading.

Lord Feer stepped in, she could feel the disgust radiating off of him.

"You are better trained than Bael, and he nearly defeated you with a simple trick! Pathetic!

She winced; his words might have well been a strike from a whip, or a clenched fist.

He leaned in close, so that only she could hear him.

"You were almost defeated by my idiot son. You are not even remotely ready to challenge me. Remember this, my child."

She nodded, angry at his rebuke, but acknowledging the truth in it.

She had let herself be lulled by his lack of skill. She had thought her victory assured, or perhaps had looked past her master's son, to the mission she was so eager to undertake.

Her master was right.

It was pathetic.

She had underestimated Bael, and he had embarrassed her.

She would not make that mistake again.

Synestra was at her son's side, soothing him with soft words, holding up his paralyzed hands, trying to rub feeling back into them with her own.

Avaryss said nothing, only just resisting the urge to sneer at the two.

And Lord Feer dares call me pathetic, she thought.

Feer addressed both Avaryss and his son.

"Do not let your anger blind you to the lesson of this," he advised, "You both still have much to learn. There is still much room for improvement, for the both of you."

He looked down at his wife.

"Our boy needs to focus more on his lightsaber drills. See to it that he is up every morning practicing the Shi-Cho. I will not have him embarrassing this house when he begins his training on Korriban."

Synestra glared at Avaryss, but she did acknowledge her husband's orders.

"It will be done, my love," she said grudgingly.

"Good," Feer said smiling.

It was at that moment that Warmaster Feore finally joined them; he whispered something into Lord Feer's ear.

The dark lord smiled hungrily.

"See to our son," he told Synestra, who would have done so without her husband's orders.

He turned to Avaryss, who was still nursing her paralyzed arm.

"Come with me, Apprentice. It is time for you to go."

She smiled, despite the lack of feeling in her arm, the slight burning sensation of short circuited nerves.

_They had a target_, she thought.

_**Finally!**_

_Praise the Emperor!_

"As you say, my master," she said bowing her head respectfully.

Feer laughed coldly.

"You have a mission to complete. Redeem yourself in both my eyes and yours, do not hesitate, and show no mercy."

She dared one final look at Bael and Lady Synestra, they were both glaring daggers at her; if looks could kill she would have been dead at that moment.

Let them glare, she thought, I can use some time away from this place, and in my master's service, I will win back some prestige in his eyes.

"It will be done, my lord," she promised.

"It will be…my pleasure."


	13. Target: Taris

**Chapter 13: Target: Taris**

The dream awoke her from a sound sleep, she sat up in bad was an excited gasp, her heart pounding in her ears. He breathing heavy, she looked around her tiny cabin, hoping no one had heard.

"Damn," Avaryss panted, "no, no, no, no, no."

Her hands went to her face, she feared that she might cry out, and did not want the crew to hear her.

So what if they do, you are in command here. You can do what you wish.

True, but at the same time…somethings that are private should stay private.

She nodded.

She had no intention of sharing this with anyone, perhaps…ever.

Slowly, she regained her composure, she breathed and found her center, she remembered where she was, and what she was doing.

Slowly, the cold simmering anger of the dark side returned, bringing her back to the present, banishing the last of the heat and confusion that tried to spill out of her dreams.

She sighed, and took a deep cleansing breath, letting it out and with it any sense of confusion that remained.

_It was just a dream,_ she thought to herself, _and for once she __**knew**__ it to be true._

She had had dreams, and Force inspired visions, this felt more like the former than the latter.

Of course, that made it no less distracting.

Sighing again she kicked off the covers and rose from her bunk. Her cabin aboard the Fury was far more luxurious than most, but that was to be expected, as an apprentice to a Darth, she was expected to have access to finer things, after all, should some Imperial come aboard for a meeting, he had to see evidences that he was addressing someone that was here on the will of a high lord, not simply a common courier or soldier.

Now that she was taking her first steps out into the Empire, it was important that the common soldiers came to see her as not just a blade, but as part of the Sith Empire's ruling class.

Fear and respect needed to be earned. A Sith was not simply about their powers, but the reputation they possessed among their Imperial allies.

Once they had reached their destination, she would start earning hers.

The air was cool in her cabin despite that, she was sweating. She shook her head again, and looked towards the small 'Fresher station in the corner.

She checked the chrono next to her bed; she had just enough time for a sonic shower, before emerging from her chambers. If Mister Rink was to be believed they were still two hours out of from their destination.

That was good; she could use the time to explore what she had been experiencing, what had brought her back from a sound sleep.

Her eyes narrowed.

Desires were useful, they drove you to succeed, but they could become a weakness if one was not careful, especially if they were discovered by an enemy.

She would not let this desire interfere with her mission. It was a distraction, nothing more.

She had no time for distraction.

Yet, in this quiet moment her mind replayed what she had been experiencing, making her shudder.

She closed her eyes, trying to will it away.

That did not work, if anything she saw, felt what she had been experiencing again, as clear as she had while she had been sleeping.

A weak moan escaped her lips.

IOI

She had dreamed that she was back on Korriban, back in the quarters she had shared on many a night with Fehl.

She found herself in bed, her body being ravished by strong male hands, and the deepest of desires.

Even now, the memory almost took her breath away.

She had thought it had been Fehl, at first, but as her eye adjusted the shadows, she had realized that it had not been her former lover; this…was something older, and far more personal.

Her dream friend ran his fingers down her body, making her moan softly as he awakened her passions, his lips found her neck, her shoulders, her ears. He was breathing heavily, drinking her in; filling her with both heat and want, as their unclothed forms moved against each other.

"Fenn," she had moaned, "Oh, Fenn!"

The name had come to her in a vision, a name that she knew to be true. He responded to her soft cries of passion by increasing his attack on her yielding body.

He was behind her, moving with her, guiding her down onto the bed, she whimpered, lost in her desire, as she lay down. She realized that they was not alone, Taya lay next them, watching with hungry eyes, both enjoying the show and eager to join in.

Her friend's lips found hers as Fenn continued to pleasure her. Taya was wearing nothing but a sly smile as she joined in on the fun.

"Hi there," she purred as she kissed her friend, bringing even more heat and want.

Yet, it was Fenn that truly held her attention, his voice drawing her in.

"Keera," he panted, "Keera."

"Keera," Taya had cooed between kisses, her fingers running down her body, making her quiver...

"Keera."

Avaryss' eyes widened.

"_**NO!"**_

She had woken in moments, sitting up in bed, panting softly. It took her a moment to remember where she was, and realize that she had been dreaming.

That realization brought her back to reality fast.

Damn, she thought.

_What in the Emperor's name had brought __**that **__on?_

She felt…shame.

She…she knew that she should not be thinking about such things. Fehl was what she wanted, who she wanted, it was her desire to bring him back that was one of her many drives.

_So it is,_ the darkness within whispered, _that doesn't mean that you can't have a little fun in the meantime._

_Desire before duty, young Sith._

Except it had not been Avaryss that had been enjoying those desires had it? It had been Keera's name that the two had invoked.

Keera she thought angrily.

It had been hearing that name that had brought her out of her passions, brought her back from the dark desires that had wanted to stay in the dream.

Her eyes had shot open, blazing with cold anger.

_Keera_, she had thought.

_Why was it __**always**__ Keera?_

A low growl escaped Avaryss' lips.

_Why can I not __**forget?**_

_Why can I __**not **__completely cast Keera Lylos aside?_

She had no good answer.

She had tried many times, she had grown weary of being haunted by the Oridanna farm girl that she had been. The dark side had changed her, perfected her, but still…in some small corner of herself, Keera remained, or rather, an echo of who she had been remained.

It was **frustrating.**

She had spent a lot time over the last year trying to eradicating that part of herself. Keera Lylos: who she had been, what she had wanted, that had become a distraction. Avaryss' desires were not the same as they had been back when she had been a Sith Hopeful. She had…**higher **aspirations. Keera would have gone to her grave trying to slay Darth Feer, she lacked perspective; it was only through joining her master had she now found herself in a place where she could destroy him one day.

Avaryss frowned.

The part of her that was still Keera would have called her a traitor for thinking such thoughts, that an enemy could not be destroyed by _becoming_ the enemy. Such an idea was as naïve as it was pointless.

Avaryss would _**never**_ turn away from her path. It was the road to great power. She had come too far, sacrificed too much to stop now.

Whatever was left of Keera now seemed to have anchored itself to the sliver of light that remained within her being. That small connection to the light side remained, and proved to be as hard to toss away as Keera herself.

That part of her still reached out every now and again, offering her love, forgiveness, and some sort of redemption; a chance to make up for choosing to ally with Darth Feer.

She had no need for redemption, or forgiveness. As for love, she would have that again, once Fehl had been restored to her. She did not need her dream friend or Taya to fill the void left by Fehl.

He would be returning to her soon enough.

She had foreseen it.

Her lip quivered slightly, the memory of Fenn's hands upon her made her shudder. She had still been a naïve young girl the last time they had spoken, but even then, the desires that she now felt were there, Fehl had awakened them, brought them to full bloom.

She remembered the last time they had talked, back in the room with the fountains, how good he had looked to her, bare chested, standing in the warm mist.

Her body stirred.

It had been some time since she had felt lust, sought to slake her desires.

In truth, she had thought them dead…until now.

She missed having someone. Fehl was gone, and her curiosity about the boy she now knew as Fenn remained. Had she been a little older, more…_experienced_, she might have tried to seduce her dream friend, experience in her mind what she had enjoyed with her first lover. She could have shared with him what she had learned…

_Would he have refused her?_

_Would any boy refuse to experience such…revels?_

It was hard to say, he had always seemed so…dedicated to his path, a path that she now suspected was the Jedi way.

It would have been fun to corrupt him.

_Enough,_ she thought, _get your mind out of the gutter and back on the job at hand, you are on mission._

_You __**need**__ to start acting like it._

She cast any thought of Fenn aside, wherever he was, they would likely never meet, and if they did, it would likely be as enemies. Taya, on the other hand, would need to be dealt with.

How she was going to do that, she was not completely sure yet.

_If I gave her what she wanted…it would bind her to me in a way that I would never need to worry about her betraying me, but at the same time, it would open me up to feelings that might prove distracting, especially as I continue my __**own**__ operations against my master. Attraction was a useful tool, but it could just as easily ensnare the one seeking to trap, as the one who was supposed to __**be**__ trapped._

It would not be the first time that a hunter was captured by the hunted; the heart was unpredictable that way.

She sighed.

No, she would not be able to deal with this, not now, once she had returned victorious to Dromund Kaas, once this threat to the Empire had been averted.

Then she could start thinking about the future.

For now, she needed to stay focused on the job at hand.

She needed to find some way to remove Keera Lylos from the equation that was her life; she was jeopardizing her rise to power. She needed to distance herself from anything that might remind her of Keera and the Lylos family.

She needed to let that part of herself wither and die, no distractions, nothing to remind her of the past.

It would work, she thought.

It would by only a matter of time.

They were drawing closer to their target; she could feel it, even as the hum of hyperspace rumbled around them. The Fury set a brisk pace as it sped towards their destination.

Soon they would reach it.

She needed to be ready.

Her real mission was about to start.

IOI

She emerged from her cabin to find her servant droid waiting for her, Toovee nattered on about this and that, ship systems that he had tasked with monitoring.

"Everything is within acceptable perimeters, my lord," the droid said bowing, "So you see there is no reason for you to think about disassembling me."

Avaryss chuckled.

She had never once threatened the droid with destruction, but it seemed that he saw it in every glance she gave him. It was amusing at times, but it could also become tedious if he continued to harp on the subject.

He just might be on the verge of a self-fulfilling prophecy.

"Summon the others," she ordered, "It is time they learn why we are here, and what is expected of them."

"As you wish, mistress," the droid said bowing, "I will carry your orders out, so that you will have no reason to contemplate my disassembly."

The droid toddled off while Avaryss made her way to the ship's conference room. So far, her crew had proved to be useful on her two previous missions, and now that she had removed the dead weight that was Captain Slynn, she thought that things could only improve from here.

She saw ensign Holli emerge from the cargo bay. It was there that the engineer had set up shop, and was continuing her work on the salvaged HK droid from the deserts of Tatooine. The ginger haired engineer had made great strides since the droid had been delivered, she had managed to find a pair of functional legs, and had all but restored the head and chassis, getting the droid functional however, was proving to be a daunting task.

"I would say our friend here was hit by a very strong ion charge once," she had informed Avaryss, "It damaged several key systems in his central processing unit, if that is not enough; it looks like he suffered some kind of internal detonation."

"Something in his body overheated and exploded?" Avaryss had asked.

"Actually, it is more likely that someone breached his chassis and put a grenade inside. These droids were heavily armored against external attack, but having an explosive detonate inside them that caused a lot of damage, shrapnel even got into his internal processor, it is a mess in there."

Avaryss frowned.

Was it over then? Was the droid good for nothing but scrap?

No, she refused to believe it.

There had to be another way.

"Could it simply be replaced? Upgraded with a more modern system?" she asked.

"Maybe," Holli agreed, "But these old HK-50s operated on a different system then the models that came after; they were almost a hive mind, hunted in packs, according to my research. The droid factory that manufactured them is not in imperial records, and believe me, I looked."

The engineer shook her head.

"I'll keep at it, but…I'm not very hopeful."

"Do what you can," Avaryss said, "It would be nice to have him on our side."

The engineer had nodded, she had not given up. Avaryss could sense that through the Force.

She viewed this little project as a challenge, and would do what she could make it work.

Avaryss respected that.

Holli's star continued to rise in her opinion.

The engineer made for the conference room. Her frizzy red hair pinned up beneath her cap, her uniform and face stained with whatever lubricant the ship needed to stay flying smoothly.

She nodded to Avaryss as she passed.

Rink joined them a few moments later, swaggering confidently out of the cockpit, his uniform as ill-fitting as ever.

A spit and polish Imperial would have called him on that, but Avaryss did not care.

He flew well, obeyed her orders, and could kill for her if needed.

That was all she asked of the former street rat from Nar Shadda.

Avaryss joined them both in the conference room. Rink and Holli sat across from each other, as she activated the holo-projector, and began her mission briefing.

The image of a portly human in his early sixties with a bald head and handle-bar mustache appeared between them. The image, captured by Imperial Intelligence a few months ago, was the only picture that the Empire had of the man, their intended target.

"This is Sego Thunn," Avaryss said, "He is CEO and chief programmer for Thunn Cyber systems, a droid programming house that has risen to prominence in the last few years, providing droids and droid upgrades to some of the wealthiest families in both the Republic and the Empire.

The young Sith smiled.

"And we are going to interrogate him."

Rink snorted and leaned back in his chair, clearly he did not see the threat that this man had come to represent to the Empire.

"What's this Thunn guy done to deserve you, Boss?" he asked in his usual insolent manner.

"It is believed that he is a Republic agent," she responded, "He is being sought as part of an ongoing investigation into a matter of espionage in the Sith Empire."

"Does this have anything to do with the droid head we recovered on Nar Shadda?" Holli asked wiping away a spot of grease from her chin.

"It does indeed," Avaryss confirmed, "It took some doing, but Warmaster Feore was able to confirm that both the droid we recovered, as well as several others, had nothing in common but one thing.

She smiled wickedly.

"All of them have either been serviced by Thunn Cyber Systems, or received a TCS upgrade in the last two years. It is for that reason that we shall seek this man out, and find out exactly what he knows about certain…matters."

Avaryss knew that Holli and Rink were not totally in the know about all this, but that had been her master's choice not hers, the fewer people that knew all the details the better.

They were playing for very high stakes this time. The Darth desired that they leave nothing to chance.

Before leaving Dromund Kaas, Warmaster Feore had given her a full briefing on Thunn and TCS. It had been a dry, yet, informative story to be sure.

Thunn, a Corellian by birth, had begun his business at the tender age of seventeen. Back then he had been a simple boy working out of a speeder garage, with only the most basic of computer systems to aid him. He had made some discoveries early on that had revolutionized droid cognitive systems, and as a result caught the attention of several of the major droid foundries in the galaxy, and for a brief time he had worked as a code designer on Mechanis III. It was a positon that the young Thunn had excelled at, and in under ten years he had been a chief programmer on Mechanis, and within five years after that, had restarted the company he had first forged as a teenager, only now as one of the most respected names in the business, a name that brought with it both great wealth, and much prestige.

It was hard to believe that such a man would jeopardize his position by turning spy for the Republic. What Imperial Intelligence knew of the man suggested that he never shown any political leanings during any of his business. He had traded openly with both the Empire and Republic in the years since the Empire's return from exile. Finally relocating his business to a world not so tightly controlled by the Republic Senate and Jedi Order.

It was _that _world that was their destination today.

Avaryss pressed a button on her data pad; the image of Thunn vanished, replaced by that of a planet, a planet that had been long ago ravaged by war.

Holli shuddered when she saw, it, recognition flashed in her golden eyes.

"Taris," she said coolly, looking at her mistress.

"Thunn is on Taris?"

Avaryss nodded.

"He moved his operations there about nine years ago. Now, TCS is one of the largest employers on Taris, and a major player in the recovery effort there."

Avaryss smiled at the engineer.

"You've been there before?"

The girl nodded.

"My family moved around a lot, we sold our services as mechanics for hire out of our old freighter. We were called in to assist on Taris a few times, mostly to help stabilize some failing super reactor, or help repair some old power grid."

The girl shook her head.

"It is not a pleasant place to be, my lord."

Avaryss chuckled.

Holli's words were an understatement to be sure.

According to what Warmaster Feore had told her, Taris had once been considered the Coruscant of the outer rim. Centuries ago, it was a hub of both trade and culture for the Republic. Its value had made it a prime target for the Mandalorians, during their war of conquest three centuries ago, the planet had been liberated by the Jedi only to fall into Sith hands a few years later, when the Emperor had sent the fallen Jedi Revan and Malak as his envoys.

It was during that time, that the Sith had decided to make an example of Taris. Its citizens had been sheltering two Jedi that had proven to be a thorn in the side of the Sith.

According to Warmaster Feore, Darth Malak had ordered the carpet bombing of Taris, the entire planet had been left in ruins, millions, if not billions, of beings had died…

…And still the two Jedi that Malak had sought had slipped through his fingers, or so the stories said.

Avaryss had shaken her head at the story.

That is why you never send a Dark Jedi to do a Sith's job. Malak's reaction had been overkill to the extreme. He had not even warned the Sith on the surface of Taris before beginning the bombardment. Many Sith warriors and troopers had perished that day.

It had been a wasteful and clumsy move, clumsy and stupid.

_Of course, what could one expect of one who had once followed the Jedi code?_

In the centuries since, many had tried to breathe life back into the corpse that had been Taris. The Republic had spent billions of credits trying to restore the place to its former glory, and had only been partially successful, most of the planet remained in ruins, ruins that were now overrun by swamps and marshes, swamps now populated by diseased and dangerous predators.

Holli was right.

It was not a pleasant place to be.

"Taris is technically under Republic control," Avaryss informed them, "But given the state of things there, the Empire **does** maintain a presence, and for this reason, Sego Thunn has been able to deal with not just the Empire, but the Hutts and the Mandaloreans as well."

Avaryss crimson eyes narrowed.

"It is the perfect place for a Republic spy to ply his trade, but now we are aware of his actions."

She grinned evilly.

"It falls to us, to stop him."

"Sounds wizard," Rink chuckled, "Though, I can't imagine that the pubs are just going to let us lean on such a…_respected_ business man, spy or not."

"I suspect that we will meet with some Republic resistance," Avaryss agreed.

"We going in alone on this," Rink asked, "or are we gonna have back up this time?"

"Sith resources on Taris are limited," Avaryss said, "However, House Feer has managed to contact an Imperial black ops team operating on Taris. They have offered us their support in carrying out this mission."

Rink shrugged, he did not look overly pleased with them having Imperial aid. Despite his recent elevation, he remained resistant to authority.

"So we use these black ops guys to breach security, so that you can have a little chat with our droid programmer friend."

"That is the plan, yes," Avaryss replied.

"Do we really need their help," Holli asked.

Avaryss gave the girl an arched look; she expected resistance from Rink, but not from the engineer.

The girl blushed as red as her hair.

"If this man is a businessman, perhaps we could offer him a deal? Why involve Imperial Intelligence if we do not have to?"

Rink chuckled.

"You did hear the part about the guy being a Republic spy, yeah?"

"If he is, it is likely doing it for money, you said it yourself, my lord, he had never shown any political leanings."

Avaryss nodded.

Holli was not the first to suggest such an action. In fact, Warmaster Feore had tried to set up a meeting between her and Thunn. Supposedly to set up a deal to upgrade the droids serving the Empire in the Itae system, such a large contract should have been too lucrative from a man like Thunn to resist, but apparently he had.

"His droid responded to my request," Feore admitted sullenly, "He said his master was unavailable and we would need to be put on a waiting list."

Avaryss had sneered when she heard that.

"He is aware that we are Sith, yes?"

"That was made clear to the droid, yes."

She had laughed.

"Clearly the man does not value his life, does he? Another Sith might have ordered his execution for ignoring them."

Feore had agreed with her. It was a risk on the man's part, and now seemed to support the fact that he was likely a Republic agent.

Only someone who had protection would dare risk angering a Lord of the Sith.

"We have no choice," she informed Holli, "Thunn has rebuffed our request to speak, so we must employ more…direct methods."

Rink grinned.

"You gonna make him pull his eyes out with your spells, boss?"

Avaryss sneered.

"I would prefer a more…civilized conversation, but if he gives me no choice. I will respond…accordingly."

An alarm chimed softly above them, Rink nodded and rose from his seat.

"We are coming up on Taris," he said stretching, "I'll get us ready to come out of hyperspace."

He left without another word.

Avaryss looked at Holli.

"You will accompany me on this mission," she said, "I need someone who is familiar with this world."

Holli sighed and shook her head.

She did not look happy.

"You sure you do not wish to take Rink?" she asked.

"As you said, you have been here before. Your experience may come in handy. I assume you know how to defend yourself. I saw you with that carbine on Nar Shadda."

"I've had basic training, sure, but…"

She looked at the look on Avaryss's face.

She knew in that moment that she had lost.

She nodded glumly.

"As you wish, my lord," she said, her green eyes looked pained, through the Force she radiated unhappiness, but she would not complain or refuse.

Holli was Imperial navy.

When a Sith gave you an order, you obeyed.

She stood and headed for the armory. After she was gone, a strange thought came to Avaryss.

She had been watching Holli during the briefing, had it been her imagination or had the girl's eyes changed color again. Not only that, but she had thought she saw Holli wipe the grease from her chin at the start of the meeting, yet when she stood to go to the armory, it was back…again.

Avaryss reached out with the Force, sensing the engineer's presence, she felt nothing but her nervousness at leaving the safety of the ship; that and her worry about meeting people from Imperial Intelligence.

Holli's concern for meeting with anyone from intelligence was understandable, most in the navy did not like or trust the information service, too many officers had met their end because of Intel's investigations.

In this though, her concerns were baseless, these men were technically imperial army, not Intelligence forces. Feore had vouched for not only their skill but their discretion as well.

They would be useful pawns in this endeavor.

She felt the ship shift back to real space; that strange sense of pseudo motion as the Interceptor returned to real space.

Avaryss returned to her quarters.

She needed to prepare herself for what was to come.

The Force was clouded; it offered no hints about what they would soon face.

She expected resistance. If Thunn had created the droid program, the Republic would likely have taken an interest in ensuring his safety. Avaryss intended to use the block ops soldiers as pawns, to test those defenses.

She did not expect all if any of them to return, but that was fine.

The Imperials existed to serve the needs of the Sith, and right now, those needs were her needs.

If she needed them to die to complete her mission, then so be it.

What good was an expendable asset if you did not expend it?

The weak were made to pave the way for the strong…

Such was the way of the dark side.

IOI

The journey down proved uneventful. The Fury's false transponder fooled the Republic's ground control team, and the interceptor slipped past without incident.

Avaryss gave Rink the coordinates for their rendezvous with the black ops troopers. He maneuvered their ship easily through the busy space lanes, past the few functional buildings, and over the ruins of the city scape that had burned so long ago.

The sight made Avaryss shiver.

The dark side was very strong here. The mass destruction almost three centuries past had left a mark on this world. It was amazing that the Jedi considered this place worth saving, worth redeeming.

To Avaryss, it felt like it would always belong to the Sith.

The coordinates led them to a ruined factory district by the look, it was more swamp then urban center, but that likely only served to hide the operations of the Empire.

Before them an entry port opened on a half standing skyscraper, revealing landing lights. Rink brought them in easily, touching down gently on the hidden landing pad.

Avaryss and Holli were already at the ramp, as it lowered, gases hissing from the opening, the Sith and the engineer strode down. Holli clad in a breast plate and combat helmet, Avaryss in in a set of armored robes with a full mask and helmet covering her features.

She figured her youth and gender might have been a distraction. By appearing to be just another armored Sith, she hoped to avoid any…distraction.

An Imperial officer met them at the ramp, the blue and red pin on his breast marked him as a colonel in the Imperial army.

He saluted as they approached.

"Colonel Essada at your service, my lord," he said, "Welcome to Taris."

Avaryss nodded.

"No pointless pleasantries," she said flatly, "Good, I'm told that you have been briefed on my needs, Colonel Essada…"

"I do hope that you are prepared to meet them?"

The Imperial nodded. He gestured for her to follow, while Holli fell in step behind.

The Colonel did not even acknowledge the engineer, but that was to be expected.

A Sith was on the deck, it was her needs that mattered.

The base looked to have been some kind of hidden bunker; the walls appeared to be reinforced, but showed markings that suggested that it had survived great heat.

Unusual to find such a thing in a city, maybe it had been some criminal's hideaway, or smuggler cache. That fit with what Master Feore had said about Taris before its destruction.

The criminal organization known as the Exchange had been said to have had a base here, perhaps this had been one of their safe houses.

Not that it had proven very safe when Darth Malak had come.

Colonel Essada said nothing of his operations, he simply led her deeper into the base.

Clearly the man was focused on the mission.

He would be a most useful pawn indeed.

"I sent a recon drone, to scout the Thunn building, par Lord Feer's request," he informed her, "We have a report waiting for you if you wish to see it."

"I do. Tell me, what is security like? Is it breachable?"

"I suspect it is, once a proper distraction has been arranged. "I've already dispatched several of my soldiers to draw off some of the Republic's security. Several accidents are about to happen, I'm afraid the Republic will be quite busy, and unable to respond if any alarms are tripped by Director Thunn."

Avaryss chuckled.

So far, she was starting to like this Colonel Essada. He had anticipated her needs.

Such men could go far, if they stayed that course.

"I would advise against a direct assault on the building, my lord. A lone infiltrator would have greater success," the Colonel continued, "The droids that TCS uses are programed to respond to large scale incursions. There have been several incidents involving large packs of Rakghouls in the area."

Avaryss gave him an arched look.

"Rakghouls?"

"Local predator, pale skinned monsters, diseased and extremely dangerous, Thunn is quite paranoid about them I've heard."

"Perhaps we can use that," Avaryss suggested.

"Perhaps so, my lord."

Avaryss shivered in anticipation. It seems that Feore had been right to involve these men, they seemed more than professional.

Perhaps they were not so expendable after all. She would still send them to their deaths of needed, but for now. She was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.

"I would like to bring one of your troopers with me," she informed the colonel, "Perhaps a trained sniper…that may prove useful.

She grinned beneath her mask.

"He may not make it back."

The colonel nodded, considering her needs.

Finally he smiled.

"I have just the man, my lord. One of the finest snipers in my command, and with some skill in demolition as well, he should prove most useful, I'm sure."

"Sounds good," she said, "I hope he will not be missed."

"Think nothing of it, my lord, my men understand what the Empire is asking of them, and more to the point, this man seems to have been courting his own death. He is a good soldier, but seems eager to meet his end."

"He is suicidal?" she said, no longer feeling as confident about this.

"He will not kill himself, no, but he will not hold back if you need for him to leap into a position where escape is impossible. He is willing to die for the Empire, in fact, I think he wants to."

Avaryss nodded.

A fanatically loyal soldier did have his uses, and if he was determined to die for the Empire, so much the better.

She would feel no shame in sending him to his death.

The colonel led her into a large chamber, filled with both weapons crates, and what looked to be espionage gear. It appeared that Colonel Essada and his men were more than prepared to hamper the Republic's recovery efforts here. A group of six soldiers sat around table playing cards.

They barely acknowledged their commander's entrance.

Avaryss was about to comment on that, but Essada beat her to it.

"They are fighting men and women, Sith. They need their diversions."

She said nothing; it was Essada's command after all.

He could run it as he saw fit.

He whistled loudly, that got his soldiers' attention, and in that moment he said a name that Avaryss had never wanted to hear again, one that she prayed to never hear again.

"LYLOS!"

Avaryss froze.

What?!

"LYLOS! FRONT AND CENTER MAN, THIS SITH HAS NEED OF YOU!"

A soldier rose from the group, and made his way over to them.

Avaryss felt the bile rise in her throat.

No…it couldn't be?!

The soldier saluted and stood at attention. He looked the spitting image of his father, the same hair, the same cool eyes, and easy competence; He moved like a man born to serve in the military, just like their father had. She had not seen him in years, thought that she would never see him again, but here he was. He was here…standing before her.

Damn!

She was grateful for the mask and helmet in that moment; he could not see her face.

He could not see the shock that was there.

"Lieutenant Beric Lylos reporting for duty," he said.

Avaryss shivered.

Oh no.


	14. Conflicted

**Chapter 14: Conflicted**

_Kill him._

The phrase repeated with every beat of her heart, every breath she took.

_Kill him._

_Kill him._

_Kill him._

Beneath her helmet, hidden behind her mask, Avaryss' eyes narrowed.

I could do it, she thought.

It would be easy.

She was riding in an air speeder. Ensign Holli was driving, with Beric sitting next to her. Avaryss rode in the back, her eyes focused on the young black ops soldier sitting in front of her. The Force roiled within her, like a pot of boiling oil ready to run over.

Once again the Sith's hand dipped to her belt, her fingers drifting over the hilt of her lightsaber.

She frowned.

_It would be so easy._

All she would have to do was raise her lightsaber, hold it against the back of the soldier's seat and hit the activator button. The blade would extend and punch through the seat and the young man's back.

He would be dead before he even realized it.

_It would be __**so**__ easy._

_The Force has offered you this gift,_ the dark side whispered, _you wished to free yourself of the last tie to the life of Keera Lylos, and now…you can._

_Beric Lylos sits right in front of you; all you have to do now…is take the initiative._

_Use your weapon_, the silky voice whispered.

_Kill him._

"Is everything well, my lord?"

Her hand jerked away from her blade.

The question had come from the soldier, from Beric Lylos…

…from her brother.

"I'm fine," she said coolly, "Merely preparing to do what must be done."

He nodded, and said no more.

Avaryss hissed.

_Damn you Beric_, she thought.

_Damn you._

IOI

He had not recognized her; the helmet and mask she wore hid her identity. He had stood before her, answering her questions and had not even realized that it was her.

It is more than that, she realized.

Beric was almost four years her senior, when he had enlisted at the age of sixteen, she had been only a ten years old. She had been a girl in shorts and pigtails.

It was no wonder that he did not know her. Avaryss was a far different person than Keera had been. When Beric looked at her now all he saw was just another Sith in armor and black robes.

He does not know who I am, she realized, he wouldn't recognize me even if he did.

The thought made her shiver.

_He is a stranger to you._

_Why is it so difficult to contemplate killing a stranger?_

When he had first stood before her, she had thought of killing him right then and there. Shock and surprise had given way to anger and excitement.

Beric was here. The Force had brought him into her grip.

She should have crushed him. She should have freed herself.

Yet, she had hesitated.

_He still has use. He can aid you on your mission._

_Would you break your weapon before you brought it into battle?_

Such a move would be foolish.

Her desire to free herself from Keera was at war with her need to complete her master's mission. In truth, seeing Beric again, it had left her…unsettled.

He stood before her, a symbol and living proof of what she had once been. Uncomfortable emotions rose when she looked at him. Yet, at the same time, she felt fear, worried what would happen to her state of mind if she killed him.

Would she be liberated, would she feel the dark side reward her for such an act, would it flow freely knowing that she had cast aside one of the last links to her past, or would the act break her in two, would it leave the part of her that was still Keera at war with the being that was Avaryss.

It was…a confusing conundrum to be sure.

_I don't have time to deal with this now_, she realized.

_Beric, these men and women, they have value._

_She would focus on that. _

She had come here intending to use these black ops soldiers to help her breach Thunn Cyber Systems.

Murdering one of their number for simply sharing a blood tie with her would definitely put a bit of a dampener on their relationship.

Who cares what they think, they are your pawns, if you wish one to die that is your choice.

Their choice is either to obey or die.

Such is the way of the Sith.

She knew that to be true, but still she stayed her hand.

Right now, the soldiers were determined to serve her needs.

She would not distract them.

IOI

Colonel Essada briefed her on the security that his men had observed protecting Thunn Cyber Systems. Much of it was pretty standard. Alarms, some security guards, and assault droids that were on standby mode in the building's lobby, with more patrolling the buildings lower level watching out for would-be thieves and the Rakghoul packs that prowled the wasteland that were the planet's lower levels.

The building itself was one of the tallest in the sector, one of the few that had been restored. Given the value of Thunn's company, the Republic had wished it to stand as a symbol of the slow revitalization of Taris.

A symbol of Republic arrogance, Avaryss thought with a sneer.

"What of Thunn himself," she asked the Colonel, "Are we sure that he is inside the building, do we know if he is even on planet?"

"According to all the data we have collected, he is," the Imperial said, "His private ship is still docked on the roof, all of his messages remain routed to his private apartment in the tower. None of the transmissions we have intercepted suggest that he is planning to leave, or has left."

"That will change," Avaryss said, "Especially after I breach the tower."

The Colonel nodded.

"When Lord Feer first issued our orders, I had my men do a thorough examination of the tower, looking for any escape points, points that might have allowed us to slip in unnoticed, or that might need to be blocked to prevent the quarry from fleeing.

"And, your conclusion," Avaryss inquired.

"There are some bolt holes, but my men will have them covered. If this man tries to run, he will be ours. In truth, our main concern is his private starship, once he learns of any trouble in the building, he would be able to be aboard and away, in a matter of minutes."

"Then we have to make sure that he cannot reach the ship," Holli said, "That or find some way to disable it."

The engineer's brow furrowed.

"What of the ship's service crew?" she asked.

"His service crew?" the Colonel asked.

"Are they organic or droid?"

"They are droids, at least from what we observed."

Holli smiled.

"I have an idea then. Have you gained access to the building's main computer?

"Limited access only I'm afraid," the Colonel admitted.

"That should be enough," Holli said grinning.

She turned to Avaryss.

"I'm no slicer," she admitted, "But if I could gain access to a computer terminal, I might be able to plant an order into the system, convince the ship's service droids that the ship needs to be locked down, either because someone is trying to steal it, or because of some major service job."

"You could do that?" Avaryss said.

"It is possible."

"For how long?"

"An hour, maybe, possibly two."

Avaryss grinned, starting to like this plan.

"From here?"

"She could **not**," Essada said, "Any direct links to the building's main computer's systems, even the non-vital ones, are firewalled, any attempt to breach them from the outside would set off an alarm."

"Thunn sounds paranoid," Avaryss said grimly, "then again, I suppose most wealthy beings are."

"What about a direct link," Holli asked, "From one of the neighboring buildings?"

Colonel Essada shook his head.

"Most of those buildings are condemned, they are over-grown ruins, likely swarming with Rakghouls and whoever knows what else. Any terminal you find would likely not even work."

Holli smiled gamely.

"I'm good with out-of-date tech, if it is possible to restore it, I can."

She turned to Avaryss.

"I would need protection, my lord. The colonel is not wrong about the dangers. The Rakghouls…"

"Will be no match for the power of the dark side," Avaryss said eagerly, "The beasts will fall before my blade, and you will have all the time you need."

The chance of spilling blood excited her. She could imagine Sego Thunn hiding in his tower, the look on his face as she stood before him with her lightsaber drawn, seeing the blood shine of its blade reflected in his terrified eyes.

A lovely thought.

She turned to Beric; he continued to look at her like she was a stranger.

That look helped keep her centered.

"Are you up for a little side mission, lieutenant?"

"I go where I'm ordered, my lord," he said professionally.

She nodded, pleased.

She turned back to Essada.

"You said the Republic Forces here are being drawn away?"

"They are being kept occupied, or will be once we are ready to make our move."

"Good," Avaryss said.

"How long will it take to get everything ready?" she asked.

"Most of my men are on stand-by," Essada assured her, "When you give the order it should take about twenty minutes for the Republic forces to be distracted.

"Are you sure about that time?' she asked him.

The Colonel chuckled.

"Their best response time is ten minutes, they will be late. We have observed that the forces here are not the pub's best."

"So much the better," Avaryss said.

She once again turned to her brother.

"We will need to cover our tracks when this is done. I trust you are prepared to make that so?"

Beric smiled coldly.

"Detonators erase most everything, my lord," he said.

Avaryss nodded.

This could work.

She would need to send word to Rink first, make sure that the ship was ready to go if they needed to make a quick exit, but…if everything went as planned.

She should have time to have a nice hour to two hour conversation with Sego Thunn.

He would not enjoy that.

She turned to the black ops commander, a shiver of anticipation ran down her spine.

"Prepare your men, Colonel. We will strike just after dark; you will send word when the Republic forces here are otherwise engaged."

"It will be done, my lord," he promised.

He glanced over at Holli.

"If you manage to breach the main computer, I have a data spike prepared that will allow you to disable the building's alarms. Once that is done, you should have no problem avoiding security.

He looked at Avaryss.

"I have seen other Sith engage the enemy during the war. I trust that TCS's security forces will offer little challenge for you, my lord?"

Avaryss chuckled.

"You assume correctly Colonel."

"They will fall."

"They will all fall."

IOI

"Killshot One to Killshot leader: you have incoming."

Avaryss turned and ignited her blade. The dark overgrown office lit with crimson light.

Twenty minutes had passed since they had arrived. It had taken Holli five of those to find a terminal that was still intact enough to receive orders, another two to get it powered up and now she was trying to establish a connection.

"Still trying to establish a link with target," the engineer said over the comlink, "Stand by."

Beric, or Killshot One, had fallen back to find a proper nest to cover them with his sniper rifle. As they had come down, they had noticed several pale shaped forms moving through the ruins below them. Rakghouls, the locals called them; Beric had told her it was only a matter of time before they found their way up to them.

As turned out, that matter of time was only twenty minutes.

Avaryss stood before Holli, ready to shield the engineer from attack.

"Do not let them touch you, lead," Beric said over the comm, "One infects you with the disease they carry and you will turn into one in a matter of hours."

"Understood," Avaryss said dropping into a combat stance. She reached out with the Force; she could sense the Rakghouls approaching…

What she felt…surprised her.

She sensed…the dark side…Sith magic?

Had the Sith _created_ these creatures? Had it created the disease they carried?

She did not have time to contemplate it.

The monsters fell upon her.

They were extremely fast.

Behind her mask, Avaryss' eyes narrowed.

Ugly beasts, she thought, and even that was an understatement.

The Rakghouls were hideous.

Pale monsters with wide hungry mouths jumped out of the shadows, lunging at her with teeth and roaring snarls.

Beric fired his rifle.

The two at the head of the pack fell, a single bolt striking them both in the temple.

Avaryss did not let the bodies fall; she reached out with the Force.

She propelled them back into their fellows.

The Rakghouls howled in rage and confusion.

They did not know what was going on.

Avaryss intended to keep in that way.

She sent them bouncing back and forth; the bodies had become a pair of organic wrecking balls, their tough hides serving her purpose as they battered their fellow monsters.

Beric's rifle fired again and again.

Two more Rakghouls fell. Her brother…

The Force screamed a warning.

Avaryss looked up at Beric's sniper nest; a Rakghoul lunged from the broken level above. Through the Force, in that moment, she got a glimpse of the future, of a Rakghoul stumbling along inside this ruin, a Rakghoul wearing the tattered remnant of her brother's uniform.

_Let it happen_, the darkside whispered.

_Such is the fate of all who oppose you, who threaten your rise to true power._

Avaryss did not listen.

She lashed out.

Jags of blue-violet lightning flashed from her upraised hand, it struck the Rakghoul leaping at her brother, flinging the monster back.

Beric released his rifle, spun with his side arm, and shot the beast twice in the head, and then, with barely any pause, he was back at his post firing at the creature's trying to assault Avaryss.

It had been the matter of seconds, he…he should not have been able to do that!

Avaryss had no time to contemplate what happened.

The Rakghouls had come in close. Her lightsaber flashed, turning their pale skin pink with its light as she severed limbs and heads.

The young Sith let go, she let her anger and frustration at the whole Beric situation flow.

In that moment, she became death itself.

And death was hungry for Rakghoul souls.

Her blade became an extension of the Force.

She howled with rage, a howl that none of these monsters could ever hope to match!

In that moment the shadows opened up to her, showed her visions of what could come, what **might** come.

In many of those possibilities she saw Beric at her side. She saw him dressed not as a common soldier but as an Imperial diplomat. She saw her brother as a Moff of the Empire, a Grand Moff.

The vision gave her pause.

She saw herself sitting on a throne, with her brother standing behind her, and there, before them, she saw children…her brother's children.

The future she thought

It is the future of our family.

She owed it to the Empire to see her bloodline continue, but same could be said for Beric.

Like her, he was a child of Andur and Mya Lylos. Their union had produced her, why could Beric not produce the same level of offspring?

He was not Force sensitive, but he carried the potential to produce **more** Force sensitives.

The realization surprised her.

Perhaps the Force had not brought him back to her for her to slay him. Maybe he was meant to _join_ her. He was skilled, she could see that, and loyal. When he found out whom she was, that loyalty might be reinforced even more.

You will need to tread lightly, The Force advised, he would never understand the whole siding with her family's murderer thing.

He would not understand.

Yes, she would need to be careful, but she could do it.

She…

"Killshot Lead: Respond."

Avaryss blinked, her brother's words bringing her out of her dark side trance.

She looked around her in amazement.

No Rakghouls remained, only burnt meat that had once been Rakghouls.

She giggled, drunk on the destruction she had caused, that and the realization she had come to.

She had a reason to keep her brother alive.

Family could be a chain, yes, but they could also be a shield. What defense was better against betrayal than blood?

He would serve her well.

"Are you planning on killing every Rakghoul on Taris, lead?" her brother said over the comm, "I think there might be a few million more down among the ruins.

Avaryss chuckled.

"You are insolent, Killshot one," she said, "But given our success I will forgive it, this time."

That, and one other reason, she thought.

_You have value to me..._

…_Though you do not know it, yet._

"Are we clear?" she asked.

"For the moment, lead."

"Then let us finish this business and be away."

She turned back to Holli; the Ensign's attention was still on the terminal in front of her.

"Are you finished?" she asked.

"Just introducing the Colonel's data spike now," Holli said, grinning triumphantly.

The pad the engineer carried beeped loudly.

"It is done," she said unplugging the pad from the terminal.

"_We_ are done."

Avaryss nodded.

"Get down here, Killshot One," she said, "phase one, complete."

"As ordered, lead."

Avaryss brought her comlink to her lips.

"Killshot team, this is lead."

"Acknowledged lead," Colonel Essada's voice responded.

"Begin phase two."

A few moments later, the air speeder carrying Avaryss and her two allies sped away from the ruined skyscraper, as soon as they had cleared it; Beric Lylos pressed a button on his belt.

The detonators he had brought triggered.

The ruins crumbled, compacting down in a cloud of debris and smoke.

Avaryss grinned as she looked down.

They would circle the block and come back, by then the destruction of the building should have stirred up every Rakghoul for a kilometer. The beasts would be scattering looking for something to attack.

The lower sections of the TCS building would soon find itself in a great deal of trouble, distracting the security forces inside even more, and thanks to the data spike that Holli had uploaded there would be no outside alarm. Even if the Republic did have someone to send they would not realize that anything was wrong until it was far too late.

Avaryss was more than pleased.

So far, the plan was going smoothly.

Soon she would be having her conversation with Sego Thunn

The man had a lot of explaining to do.

IOI

They landed before the main doors, and they waited. It did not take long until only a single receptionist droid remained in the lobby, standing behind a large desk. As one, Avaryss and her two companions made their way inside, the droid turned its photo-receptors towards them.

"Welcome to Thunn Cyber Systems," it said in a soft feminine voice, "We are unfortunately closed for the day, if you would like to make an appointment, I can…"

Avaryss threw her lightsaber; it took the droid's head off, before returning to her hand, and was quickly deactivated and back on her belt.

Beric leapt behind the desk as it fell, his fingers danced over the controls.

"It did not manage to alert security, my lord," He informed her, "We are still undetected."

She nodded.

That would not last for long, she knew.

"Destroy the droid's head and upper torso," she ordered, "Leave no sign of lightsaber damage."

Beric did as he was told, and followed them to the turbolift.

Holli had her pad out again, and was already interfacing with the lift's systems.

It took her only a minute or two to gain control of the lift and start them on their journey toward Thunn's penthouse.

Avaryss readied herself.

Who knew what she was about to face.

If Thunn was a Republic agent, she would have to secure him quickly. She remembered all those holo-novels she had read as a kid, about captured spies taking poison rather than be interrogated.

He would not get that chance.

He will tell me what I want to know. He will explain what is going on with this droid espionage program, and he will give me the carrier frequency it is using. He will not die until I decide it is time. If he resists he will suffer.

She smiled.

Oh please, let him try to resist.

The lift was fast, as one would come to expect in the home of a wealthy executive.

Avaryss reached out with the Force, trying to sense her quarry.

She felt…something.

She frowned.

What was this? She expected fear, at least excitement from their prey.

Yet, the Force remained…cloudy.

What was up with that?

The door opened, and the three stepped out into a large hallway bathed in the glow of soft golden light. The walls decorated with posters for TCS as well as display cases for some of the company's early successes.

Avaryss ignored them, her eyes focused entirely on the office before her.

The door opened and a slender stick-man like droid emerged, its head shaped like a beak with one single optic near the back of the head.

It approached them on spindly legs, its gate suggested nervousness, or perhaps it simply needed maintenance.

"Welcome gentle and femms," it said in a high pitched nasally voice, "I am 1A-K3, you may call me lackey, I am the personal assistant to Mister Sego Thunn. How may I serve you today?"

Avaryss laughed.

"I'm here to see your master, Lackey" she said, "You will let me pass or be scrapped."

The droid took a step back. Avaryss activated her lightsaber.

The droid's hands went up in submission.

"There is no reason for violence, mistress," it said, "I only wish to point out that Mister Thunn is indisposed. He will not be able to answer your questions today."

"And why is that?" Avaryss asked.

The droid paused, clearly trying to come up with an answer.

Avaryss frowned.

She had never seen a droid left speechless before.

"My master is indisposed," the droid repeated, "he will not be able to speak with you today. I, however, have been authorized to lend my full assistance. Whatever you need, I can tell you."

Avaryss rolled her eyes.

She had no time for this.

What the droid knew did not interest her.

She wanted to speak with Thunn.

"Clear the path, lieutenant," she told Beric.

"I'm done speaking with this droid."

Beric stepped forward, and Lackey, backed up to the wall.

"Out of the way, clanker," he growled, "A Sith will not be denied."

Avaryss smiled.

She could not have said it better herself.

She passed the droid without another word; a sound escaped its vocoder, like a sigh. She knew that droids did not do that, but the facsimile was quite good.

She would still have to scrap the droid at the conclusion of this meeting, no evidence, and no witnesses.

She used the Force to fling about the doors.

She stepped inside.

"SEGO THUNN" She called out, "You will…UGH!"

She stopped mid-step.

The sickeningly-sweet smell of rot assaulted her.

It turned her stomach, and she almost regretted wearing a mask, almost…

The apartment was quite spacious, two tiers, the bottom level was a state of the art office, with all the modern conveniences. Above she could see Thunn's living quarters, lamps, an entertainment station.

She assumed his bedroom was up there as well, but it would not be necessary to hunt for that.

Sego Thunn sat behind a large desk in the back of the room, before a great window that opened up on the blasted city scape of Taris, the window was currently darkened to prevent anyone from seeing in.

The reason for that was Thunn himself, or rather…what was left up him.

Behind her, she heard Holli make a retching noise, she did not blame her.

Avaryss wrinkled her nose.

She wished her helmet had a nasal filter.

Sego Thunn, CEO and head designer of Thunn Cyber Systems was literally dead at his desk. The body slumped down, his head resting on the table. From the look of things, the man had been dead for a while; his skin had gone a gray-green, the stink alone almost made the large office unlivable.

Beric stepped up beside her, a look of grim distaste on his face.

"What is this?" he said.

Avaryss growled.

She was thinking the exact same thing.

The droid, Lackey came up behind them; it wrung its metal hands in an almost human like gesture.

"Ummmm," it said, "As you can see, gentle and femms, my master will not be able to answer your questions today."

Avaryss growled.

_Today, _she thought, _more like __**ever!**_

She wheeled on the droid.

"What happened here?" she demanded.

"Your master is dead, droid." Holli added wiping her mouth.

"Uh…yes…um...I am well aware of that mistresses, Master Thunn ceased to function twelve days, thirteen hours, fifteen minutes, and twenty four seconds ago."

The droid shrugged.

"It has been quite a…inconvenience."

A fatalistic laugh escaped Avaryss.

Droids, she thought, the masters of the understatement.

"Speak droid," she snarled, only just being able to restrain her rage, "What happened to your master?"

"It…it is a long story, mistress," Lackey said making the sighing sound again, "With the termination of Master Thunn I am no longer bound to keep his secrets. If you so desire I can tell you what I know."

Avaryss's hand drifted to the hilt of her lightsaber. She would enjoy cutting the metal being up into scrap, but she dared not, not yet.

She still wanted answers.

"Speak droid," she ordered.

"Tell me everything."

1A-K3, otherwise known as Lackey, began his tale.

It was interesting at least.


	15. Exit Strategy

**Chapter 15: Exit Strategy**

"Master Thunn never wished to be a part of this project, mistress. It is my duty to remind you of that."

Avaryss did not respond.

Sego Thunn was dead; his motivations at this point did not really concern her.

All that mattered now was the data that was scrolling across the holo-screens in front of her.

She nodded, pleased with herself.

1A-K3 had given her the carrier frequency that the droid spy program was broadcasting to. She was not surprised to find that it was encoded, but the sheer amount of data, all the various reports filtering in from…who knew how many droids scattered throughout the Sith Empire was enough to tell her what she needed to know.

This breach was far bigger than Lord Feer had realized. Whoever was behind this had access to…an untold amount of Imperial data, data that was crucial to the Sith and the Empire as a whole. There were thousands of reports from droids all over the Empire, perhaps even a million different reports.

It was not a pleasant realization.

She shook her head.

_Is this how the Empire would die?_

She sat in a small conference room off of Thunn's main office. After using her powers to dispose of the body, the smell in here had improved significantly. Holli was now working at the late CEO's desk, going through his personal computer while Beric stood guard by the entrance. The communications blackout that they had used to blind the TCS remained in effect. The Republic had offered a token response to this, sending a squad to the lobby, just to make sure that everything was fine.

By the time they arrived, the destroyed reception droid had been replaced, and 1A-K3 had broadcast the all clear signal to the few organic workers, droids, and guards that had responded to the Rakghoul problem in the lower levels.

As far as the Republic was concerned, the communications blackout was simply the result of building explosion nearby, that it had temporary disrupted communications, and that Thunn Cyber Systems was working on the problem, and would have it fixed shortly.

She watched the feed from the lobby as the Republic soldiers left after a brief communication with what they thought to be Director Thunn in his penthouse.

Avaryss smirked.

It seemed that 1A-K3 was more than just a lackey.

The droid was quite the administrator, and he clearly knew how to lie, an odd skill in a droid.

Yet, after hearing his tale, Avaryss understood why it was needed.

In fact, she was most pleased.

The droid would prove most useful moving forward.

Her own plans had just been greatly accelerated, and all because Sego Thunn had been a lazy fool.

It was almost too easy.

IOI

Until today, she had never heard of the 1A model assistant, in fact, no one likely had. The droid had been built, decades ago, to Thunn's exacting specifications, during his time as a programmer on Mechanis III. Officially, the droid was just a personal assistance droid. Thunn, however, had seen…other uses for his assistant.

Uses that now worked in her favor.

After Beric and Holli had secured the office, she had gone off and spoke with the droid privately, in one of Thunn's meeting rooms. She wanted to determine if it was in her best interests to scrap it and simply bring its head back to Dromund Kaas. Who knew what secrets were hidden in that CPU. Yet, at the same time, she had been curious, the droid had covered up his master's death, she was eager to hear why.

She was not disappointed.

"Master Thunn was not an evil man," the droid said, "But his time was…limited, even during our early days on Mechanis III. He needed _**more**_ than a mere assistant, he required me to be _far_ more. Many of the upgrades he fitted me with would be considered by some as…violations of the law in the creation of a droid."

The mechanical being made that sighing sound again, it shook its beak like head, a very human gesture.

"What sort of upgrades," she had asked.

Lackey listed them quickly, and their desired function.

When he was finished, she understood why some might be worried about a droid with such capabilities.

Thunn had clearly been a genius.

If the droid was not lying, then it had likely been upgraded with the most advanced personality suite known in the galaxy.

Thunn had expanded the droid's memory, removed all of the safeguards that kept a droid from achieving what some might call true sentience. It had no personality blocks, its creativity functions were not limited by any safeguards at all. The only limits he had placed on the droid was its loyalty perimeters, Thunn had programmed Lackey in a way that made it impossible for the droid to harm, or allow harm to come to him and his company. The droid would do anything to insure TCS's future.

It was that programming that had led to the man's death, or rather prevented any aid from reaching him before he expired.

For years the droid had served as his assistant, helping him with his work, suggesting improvements to droid systems, that had helped revolutionize their company, not to the mention the fact that droid's programming insured that it was capable of running TCS by proxy. Thunn had been free to enjoy the pleasures of his wealth, indulging in his appetites while his able assistant tended to the business. It had been a relationship that had worked for years…

…Until the moment of Thunn's death.

It was at that moment that everything changed.

"My master's health has been failing for years," Lackey admitted, "As his condition continued to deteriorate, this unit was given more and more autonomy in ensuring TCS ran smoothly."

The droid's optics blinked, perhaps signaling the droid accessing a memory file.

"When the day came that my master's condition became terminal, he ordered me to summon medical assistance."

The droid stood a little straighter.

"I _disobeyed_ that order. It is the first time that this unit ever did that. It was most…distressing."

Avaryss grinned behind her mask.

"You _killed_ him," she said.

"This unit simply did not summon medical aid; that is all."

"You let him die?"

Again, the droid made that sighing sound...

"I did."

"Why? I thought you were programmed to be loyal to him? I thought you were programmed to care for his welfare?"

"**And** to look after the company," Lackey said, "Organic life ends, that is the natural conclusion of its function. This unit ran many simulations for what would occur after Master Thunn ceased to function. In ninety seven point eight of those simulations, TCS suffered greatly from Master Thunn's passing. Stock prices would fall; the board would be left in chaos, with no clear line of succession.

The droid shook his head.

"I tried to do what I could to ensure the continuance of Master Thunn's life, but at the same time this unit prepared for his inevitable end. Given the simulations that this unit had run, it determined that the best way to ensure that the company not be harmed by his passing was to not acknowledge it. I would keep things "spinning" as Master Thunn use to say.

Avaryss considered this, amused by the droid's take on the situation.

It was reasons like this that you did not give a droid too much autonomy.

The droid had been forbidden from harming Thunn, of allowing him to be harmed, but a death by natural causes was not causing harm. As 1A-K3 had said, all life ends.

It had simply allowed its master to expire, that was **not **allowing harm, according to the droid, and it was simply a natural part of the man's life cycle.

The droid had murdered him, _without _murdering him, some might call that a psychotic glitch, but she did not think so…

This droid was not insane. It was something **more.**

She noticed how it bounced back and forth between referring to itself as this unit, or I and me. She could only imagine the conflict going on in the droid's central processor. Programming at war with artificial sentience, a droid designer would have had a field day exploring it, provided they did not terminate the droid out of fear.

People feared what could not be controlled.

"I could not save my master," Lackey admitted, "My connections to the medical implants monitoring his condition made that plainly clear, and if this unit had summoned aid, word of his condition would have gotten out and harmed the company. I could not save Master Thunn, but I could preserve his company, _our_ legacy."

"This unit let his functions cease, and initiated the protocols it had put in place to ensure that.

"I'm curious, Lackey," Avaryss said, "What would have happened to you had your master's death been discovered? What would company policy dictate as _**your**_ fate?"

The droid's photo-receptor blinked again, accessing other files.

"Every simulation this unit ran resulted in this unit being terminated. Either sold off for scrap, or being transferred to a department where its talents would be wasted, talents that, if discovered, would result in this unit's disassembly."

"And that bothers you?"

The droid stood a little straighter.

"I am a droid, mistress, nothing **bothers **me, but my programming would be inversely affected. After a detailed analysis of the board members, I could find no one who would allow this unit to continue its function. All would seek to destroy TCS, destroy or break it up, sell off what they wanted and abandon the rest. This unit could not allow that. Its primary function is the continuation of this company."

"This unit _must_ continue. Thunn Cyber Systems **must** continue."

Avaryss grinned.

"You do not have to justify your choices to _**me**_, droid," she said, "Self-preservation, the need to protect your power from rivals, those are Sith qualities, and they come as natural to a Sith as breathing the air."

The droid regarded her, its single eye blinking.

"My master was never political, if he had been; he may have found value of working more with the Sith Empire, if what you say is true."

"It is," Avaryss said bowing her head slightly.

"Interesting," the droid said, "Of course, the point is moot now, now that you have discovered the truth about Master Thunn, I estimate that Thunn Cyber Systems will cease to exist in four point three months."

"Well, that is not good is it," Avaryss said dryly.

"No mistress, it is not."

The droid shifted its feet, its eye blinked on and off, thinking perhaps?

"Without a master, business will suffer. This unit is more that prepared to continue the charade of Master Thunn's continued existence, but it cannot leave this tower, which maybe the only way to ensure that the Thunn protocol remains in effect."

"You wish to leave?" Avaryss inquired.

"Affirmative, a story had already been fabricated, Master Thunn has decided to see the galaxy; a ship has already been purchased, fitted with equipment capable of handling all TCS business needs. The master's genetic material is on file there, and I'm more than prepared to apply his signature when needed. I could stay moving for years without needing to allow anyone to board, but my programing prevents me from initiating this phase without my master's permission.

"What about when people want to meet with Thunn in person?" she asked.

"I've downloaded over one thousand hours of my master on the holo-comm, with these images, creating a simulation of him to broadcast during business meetings will be simplicity itself, but as this unit said, it is unable to leave the tower, my master never allowed this unit to do that.

The droid sighed.

It is only a matter of time until another being manages to get up here and determine that Master Thunn no longer functions. This unit _**must **_leave, but is unable to without a master's orders to do so."

When it stopped it looked right at her.

"You required something of Master Thunn, did you not, Mistress Sith?"

"I did," Avaryss said nodding, "Your master was involved in something, and I need the details of it."

The droid's eye blinked again, thinking.

"I have a proposition for you," it said.

Avaryss smiled.

"I'm listening."

IOI

"We are done here; it is time that we returned home."

Avaryss was smiling behind her mask as she prepared to leave the TCS building. Holli disengaged from Thunn's computer, informing her lord that she had used his systems to find a few parts and upgrades that might allow her to complete her task in restoring the HK.

Avaryss nodded.

"If you have any other needs, speak with 1A-K3, he might be able to get you what you need."

Holli looked over, the droid followed in Avaryss' wake, watching her almost worshipfully.

"Um…okay," the engineer replied.

""I'm ready to assist with whatever you need, ensign," it said.

Holli gave her lord a questioning look.

"The droid is coming with us," she asked.

The Sith nodded.

"For a time, we are giving 1A-K3 a lift, as a token of good will. He has a ship waiting to take him off world."

She smiled.

"We will use Thunn's ship to make our exit; he will not be needing it."

Holli looked confused. The very look on her face almost seemed to say: What is going on?"

Avaryss chuckled.

She had discovered today the value of restraint, and just how profitable it could be.

She had come here to retrieve a prize for her master, and she had done that, she now had the carrier frequency, and everything that Thunn knew about the mysterious client that had paid to have the mysterious program installed, and at the same time, she had also taken a major step forward in building her own powerbase. She had taken her first real step in becoming a full Sith Lord.

The whole affair had proved far more than lucrative for the young Sith, in more ways than one.

She looked around the room. She did not see Beric.

"Where is the lieutenant," she asked Holli, "It is time to go."

"He went up to the roof to try to get a signal to the rest of his black ops team; we are still experiencing communications issues."

Avaryss nodded, and raised her comlink to her mouth.

"Killshot One, proceed to the ship on the roof. It is time for us to leave."

"As ordered," the soldier replied back.

Beneath her mask, Avaryss grinned.

This whole operation had proceeded far better than she could have hoped.

Her master would be pleased.

She had gone above and beyond on this one.

_As Lackey's new master, and the new acting CEO of Thunn Cyber System_, _she now had access to resources that would make another Sith apprentice's mouth water._

Acting CEO, she mused.

What an interesting turn of events.

She had been…hesitant at first, she knew nothing about business, of the droid manufacturing business even less so.

The droid was not concerned.

"I am more that capable of handling the day to day operations, mistress," Lackey had promised her, "I did so quite often for Master Thunn. It is my primary function after all. Once this unit is safely away from this place, it will get back to work, and all you will have to do is sit back and count the credits flowing into your accounts."

"How many credits," she had asked.

He had showed her Thunn's private accounts, accounts that the droid would sign over to her if she agreed to see him safely off Taris.

She was grateful for the helmet and mask. If she had not been wearing it, her jaw might have hit the floor.

The numbers she was seeing…that could not be right?!

She fought back a girlish excited giggle.

The droid asked for a simple favor, and in return, offered to pay her a fortune!

How could she refuse?

Briefly she thought of simply beheading the droid, and bringing it back with her. A slicer back on Dromund Kaas would be able to extract any useful data from it; there would be no need to make a deal.

She rejected that thought immediately.

Destroying the droid would give her instant access to a lot of credits, true, but by letting it continue to function, to let it run the company for her. She would have a steady stream of wealth. Not enough to match her master, but it would be enough to free her from his credit account.

She would be able to pay her own bribes, hire her own enforcers, and start laying the ground work for the future of House Avaryss.

What was better, a huge lump sum, or a steady stream of wealth that would offer numerous possibilities.

There was no contest in her eyes.

She accepted the offer; she would serve as the droid's new master, and through him, control TCS.

"You will not regret this, mistress," the droid promised, "You will find that I will be an excellent administrator of your new empire."

That last part made Avaryss tingle.

_**MY **_empire, she thought.

Were there any prettier words in the entire universe?

She did not think so.

Her master would be impressed.

He sent her here on an errand, and she came back with not only with what he wanted, but had found a way to make herself even _**more**_ valuable to him.

All she had to do was escort the droid to Thunn's ship, and then use it to, rendezvous with the ship that 1A-K3 had requisitioned. It was already waiting in orbit, its automated systems fully online, awaiting its master's arrival. From there, the droid would be able to continue its duties free from prying eyes.

"What will you do when you reach your ship?" she asked the droid, "Where will you go?"

"Away from the Republic," the droid said, "Most of the TCS board has holdings there, and friends among the Republic Senate. I do not wish to be disturbed until I have reestablished myself, and ensured the company's survival."

"A worthy goal," she agreed, "May I suggest paying a visit to the Itae system within the Sith Empire. It is in my master's holdings, and I will send word; guaranteeing your vessel safe passage. You shall be travelling under the protection of Darth Feer's apprentice. That should guarantee you the privacy you need while you establish your power base."

The droid considered her offer.

"That would be…most helpful, Mistress Avaryss."

"And there is more," she said with a sly smile, "Should you encounter any…problems with the board, let me know."

"I have a gift for…convincing people to do what I say. You will find that I can do far more than simply offer you safe travels within the Empire, and count credits."

The droid nodded, it moved with a little more spring in its mechanical step.

"I shall take your offer under advisement, mistress," the droid said, "This unit believes that this is the start of a most agreeable and profitable partnership."

Avaryss nodded.

_A company that runs itself, with resources far beyond what she had access to right now._

Yes, she was most pleased with this deal.

It would be quite profitable, indeed.

Her heart was fluttering with excitement as they made their way up to the landing pad on the TCS roof. She could imagine what awaited her with her new resources, what opportunities would open up. What she could…

"Stop."

She was not sure why she said it; the words had come out of her mouth unbidden. Both droid and engineer looked at her strangely.

Avaryss tilted her head as she reached out with the Force.

She felt something that made her growl like an angry Tukata. Behind her mask, her lips curled into a cruel sneer.

She looked at Holli.

"Stay here and defend the droid," she ordered, "Protect it with your life."

"Of course, my lord," the engineer responded, "What…what is going on?"

"Remain here until I return," she ordered.

She reached out again, feeling the warm and unwelcome sensation awaiting them on the landing platform.

Her hand drifted to her belt, to the hilt of her lightsaber.

I have should have known, she thought, of course someone would be watching Thunn, waiting to see if a Sith tried to pay him a visit.

She smiled.

She was ready for this.

"I'll be back," she promised.

"This will not take long."

As she moved forward, her comlink, beeped.

"Yes?"

"This is one, lead. We have an unknown target up here; he is blocking our entrance to the ship."

There was a brief pause.

"Should I terminate?"

"No," Avaryss replied, she doubted that her brother could kill this particular target.

She could imagine him firing, only to have the bolt deflected and sent back through his eye.

She had no desire to see her brother killed that way.

No, this was a fight that only she could wage.

She was looking forward to it.

"Remain where you are," she advised, "await further orders."

She heard a click over the comlink before it fell silent.

A shiver of anticipation ran down the young Sith's spine.

She knew that this would happen one day. Every Sith eventually had to face this challenge, deal with such a confrontation.

She was looking forward to seeing how it finally played out. She had trained long and hard for this.

She was eager to see just how good she truly was.

As she stepped out into the Tarisian night, she could see the distant lights of the few functional buildings; smell the ash that still seemed to remain in the atmosphere, even after the bombing had ended three centuries ago.

She smiled as she saw the one who would dare to try and block her path. The plain brown robe, the pale garments covered by a cortosis weave breast plate and greaves.

She could not see her enemy's face, and did not really need to. Through the Force she knew what he was, even if she had been blind she would have felt it.

She strode out onto the walkway, her hand resting on the hilt of her lightsaber.

"I was wondering when I would finally get the chance to meet one of you," she called out jovially.

"This has been a long time coming."

"Then you have waited a long time to die, Sith," her opponent responded, his masculine voice dripping with confidence.

Avaryss shrugged.

She found herself wondering if this would be his first time too.

She fought the urge to laugh.

She would try to be gentle.

"Stand down, Jedi," she called out, making the man's title into an insult, "Step aside, or be knocked aside, it is **your** choice."

The Jedi responded by removing his hood, revealing a strong, handsome face, with short black hair and dark eyes.

"I am Rhad Loro, Knight of the Jedi Order, and guardian of the Republic." He glared coldly at her, ""You are under arrest Sith, surrender and I will show mercy."

Again, Avaryss chuckled.

Was this guy for real?

"I do not recognize Republic law," she informed him, "And even if I did, what is the charge?"

"The murder of Sego Thunn, for one," the Jedi growled, "That, and espionage against the Republic."

She considered what he had said. It seems this Jedi had known Sego Thunn was dead, either that, or he simply assumed he was after his meeting with her.

She shook her head.

What a fool, this Jedi was.

"An interesting set of charges," she said, "Of course, I'm innocent, Sego Thunn was dead when I arrived, and as for espionage, well…"

She laughed.

"Considering what you and your Republic friends are up to, I would say that seeking to charge me with espionage is…a little hypocritical."

"What you have done, or not done, is irrelevant, Sith," the young Jedi added, "You shall not leave this platform. What you have discovered here, will not reach the ears of the Sith dark council."

And there it was, she thought.

_Proof of Jedi involvement in all this,_

She could not say that she was surprised.

They were threatening the Empire. They were threatening **her** home!

Rage boiled up inside her, filling her with dark power.

Avaryss responded to his words by drawing her lightsaber, the blade came alive with an evil hiss. It's crimson blade flaring in the night air.

The Jedi followed suit, igniting his own weapon, a blade of sapphire blue fire blazed from the hilt in his hand.

Jedi and Sith faced each other, neither willing to give an inch.

It was a standoff, she realized, The Jedi wins the longer I'm here. She wondered if he had called for reinforcements, for all she knew Republic forces were even now on their way.

She would have to make this quick.

The longer they remained, the more danger they were in.

She thought of Holli and Beric. She doubted either would be a match for this one. She could sense the light in him, its cold even blaze holding the shadows at bay.

Beneath her mask, she grinned.

This would be a most excellent challenge indeed!

"Last chance, Sith," the Jedi called out, "Surrender and I will show mercy."

"There is only one mercy now," Avaryss gently twirling her blade, "The mercy of the grave, the release of death."

Her grin widened into a full blown smile.

"Let us see who is worthy of it."

There was no more talking, no more posturing.

Avaryss leapt forward. While the Jedi Rhad Loro brought up his blade.

The two lightsabers clashed with a load bang, both weapons hissing and spitting sparks.

The dance of death began.

She came down hard, raining blows on his defenses. She had hoped to catch him off guard, end their duel quickly.

After the first exchange, she knew that that would not happen.

He weathered her storm and struck back! His blade was a blue blur. It took all of her skill to avoid being cut down in the first three strokes.

She back pedaled, falling into the rhythm of Soresu. A wall of crimson light was now between her and her attacker. He switched effortlessly between sequences of Djem-So, Ataru, and Makashi.

His skill was astounding.

She found herself thinking back to the Padawan she had fought back on Butcher's Clearing. That Jedi had been exhausted, tortured, his emotions all over the place.

This Jedi, he fought like a machine. His emotions buried beneath years of Jedi discipline and training. His sword was almost an extension of the Force.

Impressive, she thought, most impressive.

She doubled her effort.

His skill would not save him.

Out of the corner of her eye she noticed several drums stacked near the starship. She reached out with the Force and sent them flying towards his back. Rhad Loro responded by leaping over them. He reached out with the Force as well, directing them towards her, trying to turn her own attack against her.

She dodged the first few, pushed and third away with the Force, but was unable to block the fourth. She was forced to cut it with her lightsaber.

Whatever liquid was inside sprayed out, it caught fire from her lightsaber, orange flame blazed around her, her robes caught fire, she slapped and the flames trying to put them out. The brightness momentarily blinded her. She staggered back, coughing and trying to clear her vision.

The Jedi leapt in, she was caught in a whirling cyclone of attacks, Ataru turning the Jedi into a blur.

Avaryss reached deeper into the darkness, she let the shadow guide her blade. Where ever the Jedi's blade fell, hers was there to block it.

Recognizing that his attacks were not working, the Jedi fell back. Avaryss tore away a burning section of her robe. She could feel the burns where the fire had found her flesh. The pain did not distract her, in fact, it centered her, brought her focus fully back on this fight.

The two of them looked at each other through the flames.

"You are skilled Sith," the Jedi said bowing respectfully, "It is a shame that your powers serve the darkness."

He shook his head.

"It will be a shame to kill you."

Avaryss sneered.

"You are not so bad yourself dog," she spat, "Your death will please my master greatly."

"The dark side will fail you, Sith, as it has failed the rest of your foul kind so many times."

The Sith growled.

"You know nothing of the dark side!"

"You would be surprised," the Jedi said bitterly, "I've seen the dark side. I've seen it in the ruins of Coruscant when Darth Angral brought death to its skies. I've seen it in the ruins of our temple, laid waste by Darth Malgus and his filth."

The Jedi gave her a venomous smile.

"We have waited years to see the Empire face justice, and at long last, it shall answer for its many crimes. The betrayal of Coruscant will be avenged."

Beneath her mask Avaryss smiled wickedly.

"Avenged?" she asked.

The Jedi blinked, realizing what he had said.

"Justice will be served," he said.

The Sith smirked.

"Careful Jedi," she said, "For a moment there…you sounded like one of us."

His eyes turned cold.

"Die Sith," he hissed.

She brought up her blade.

The fight began anew.

Again Avaryss let Soresu take her, fell into its rhythm as she parried and blocked the Jedi Knight's blows. She had hoped to exploit his momentary show of anger, but his Jedi training once again cut off his emotions, he fought with the same mechanical calm she had noticed earlier.

He was good; make no mistake, but…

She smiled beneath her mask.

…I'm better.

She ducked under his swing, stabbed up with her lightsaber. He had been too close to block, so he back pedaled. He fell back, giving her a few seconds, five at the most.

It was all she needed.

She reached out with the Force.

The Jedi's eyes widened.

The flames that had been burning around them suddenly rose higher. They turned from an angry orange, to a bright blue-violet; they rose and began to twist, turning and spinning together, becoming a serpent of dark boiling energy.

A serpent that curled around Avaryss, she whispered an incantation as she continued to draw on the dark side. Her red eyes burned like hot coals. Her back tingled as the Sith Tattoos she had been marked with years ago glowed as well, responding to her use of the dark side, she could not see them glow, but she could feel the dark side flowing through her, feel it taking her in its grasp, empowering her.

The Jedi dropped into a Soresu guard, ready to meet her next attack.

She giggled.

Pyromancy was not a gift common among Jedi or Sith, she knew, but given her skill at manipulating energies, her master thought it might be interesting to train her in the art. He had little skill in it himself, but knew where to get the necessary training manuals.

Avaryss had impressed him with how quick she had mastered those lessons.

Clearly the Jedi was equally impressed, she thought, or perhaps that was fear…

She smiled.

…Either worked for her.

She pointed her hand, and the fire responded; it lashed out like a whip. Rhad Loro dodged, but found no escape. She was there waiting for him, her crimson blade spinning; eager to draw blood.

We are almost there, she thought, the curtain is falling.

It is only a matter of time.

He evaded her attacks, but had no answer for the fires she had summoned, they moved like a living thing, seeking to devour him. He reached out with the Force; debris from the burning barrels flew at her.

She dodged the worst, but caught a particularly hard strike on the side of the head. Stars exploded before her eyes.

He helmet, dented by the attack, now became an inconvenience. She used the Force to tear it off, the catches snapping like they were made of paper. She tossed the broken thing away, letting her long black hair fly free, her crimson eyes burned like the blade of her lightsaber.

Bloody of blade and of eye, she thought, amused.

Now let us see some Jedi blood.

She lunged in again. The fire had mostly burned itself out, her loss of concentration had cost the blaze fuel, and the spell began to fail.

No matter, she thought, it has done its work.

Now, end this.

She moved in, switching back to Makashi.

Now it was the Jedi that was falling back, He had been burned several times; his eyebrows were no longer there.

She pressed the attack.

She chose to pay him back for hitting her with the burning debris. She sent several large chunks of blackened metal flying towards him. One caught the Jedi Knight in the back of the head, staggering him.

Avaryss stepped back to enjoy the show.

She lowered her blade, and reached out with the Force.

The storm began.

Broken barrels and whole ones assaulted the Jedi, he swung at them with his lightsaber, but never connected once, she could feel his pain now; he had broken several bones in the attack.

His concentration, his focus on the light began to sputter.

I have you now, she thought grinning hungrily.

You are mine!

She reached out with her hand.

The Jedi gasped as she caught him in vice-like Force grip. He coughed and clawed at his throat.

He lost his lightsaber, it fell from his gasp, the blade deactivating as it hit the ground.

She pulled it to her, stepping on it, making sure that he could not recover it.

She felt the dark side surge around her, drawn by the Jedi's pain, that and her sense of triumph.

You are done, she thought, but your failure is not complete.

She gave him a cruel sneer.

"The Jedi know about the spy program in our droids don't they? How many Jedi know about this plan of yours?" she demanded, "Who are your masters, who are behind this?"

She tightened her grip. He was beginning to turn red, soon it would be blue.

"I want names!"

"Rhad Loro, Knight of the Jedi Order, and guardian of the Republic said nothing. He watched her with bulging eyes, struggling to regain enough strength to break her Force choke, but unable to do so.

The damage she had done was too much.

He was done.

"Your…your empire…it…it will fall," he croaked, "All…that died on…on Coruscant will be avenged."

"A name, Jedi," she hissed, "Name your master! Who is it?!"

He let out a croaking laugh.

"I'll…I'll never ta…talk."

Avaryss glared.

She was out of time.

They needed to end this.

"Suit yourself," she said with a frown.

She took a step towards him, two.

He looked at her, clearly in pain, but still…defiant.

"There…there is no death," he croaked.

Avaryss brought her blade up and around.

She took the Jedi's head. It bounced twice and fell off the edge of the roof.

The body toppled, it lay there, a single leg twitching.

Avaryss sighed.

She shook her head.

"No death, huh," she said as her lightsaber still crackled away the last of the Jedi's blood.

She sneered.

"So what do you call that?"

She deactivated her lightsaber, turning with a sigh; she used the Force to retrieve the dead Jedi's weapon.

Not bad, she thought, inspecting her new toy.

It was a fine trophy.

She reached down for her comlink.

"Holli," she called into it, "Bring Lackey up, we are getting out of here."

"Yes, my lord," the engineer said.

"Killshot one, come on down," she ordered, "It is time to get off this rock."

There was no response.

"Killshot one?" she repeated. "Respond, please."

When he answered it was not a word she wanted to hear.

"Keera?"

Avaryss blinked.

What?

What did he say?

Then…she realized what had happened.

She had lost her helmet during the fight. Beric had a scope on his sniper rifle; he had likely watched the whole fight.

Now she stood by the fire, her face revealed for all to see…

…For her big brother to see.

She looked up where he was hiding; she could sense him through the Force. She could feel his shock, his disbelief.

Keera, he had said.

She could almost hear that name being repeated in his mind over and over again.

Avaryss sighed.

Great, she thought, just wizard!

She shook her head.

It seemed…that she had some explaining to do.


	16. Brother

**Chapter 16: Brother**

Fear.

It was not an emotion that Avaryss was use to feeling. She had become accustom to inspiring it in others, but not feeling it herself.

Yet in this moment, standing outside her brother's quarters on the Fury. She felt a true sense of fear.

_What am I going to say_, she wondered, _what words was appropriate? How could she explain what had happened, how she had found her way here?_

She bit her lower lip, her brow furrowed in thought.

_What could she say?_

_Who cares_, the darkness whispered, _he is a common soldier, you are on your way to becoming a dark lord of the Sith. It is __**he**__ that should be worried about confronting you, not the other way around._

You are _everything_, and he is _nothing._

**Never** forget that.

She frowned.

It was easy to think about, harder to make a reality.

Yes, he was a common soldier, but he was also her brother, her father's son.

That status had to count for something.

She could not simply dismiss him.

Beric had barely spoken to her since they had left Taris. He obeyed her orders, and would say "Yes, my lord," and "No, my lord," where he needed to, but beyond that…nothing.

He had said nothing when Thunn's small vessel had taken off. He had said nothing when they docked with 1A-K3's larger vessel. He had continued to remain silent when she had finally been able to contact Mister Rink and have him pick them all up from said vessel. He held his silence when she had contacted Colonel Essada and requested that he formally be transferred to her command.

In short, her brother had simply shut down, she could not even feel his emotions; they were blunted, hidden behind years of military discipline and training.

Her brother had always had a stubborn streak, she knew that, but it seemed that he also had a very strong will. Even had she possessed the skill of Force persuasion she doubted that she would be able to get him to talk to her.

She was both proud and unsettled by that.

It was clear that they definitely shared the same blood.

She had not risked sending a report to her master until they had left Taris far behind. In truth she had been on edge since they had left orbit in Thunn's private starship. She kept waiting for someone to try and attack them, like they had on Nar Shadda. She kept waiting to see fighters or perhaps a capital ship seeking to block their escape route, none appeared. She stood and watched as 1A-K3's TCS ship vanished into hyperspace, only then did she finally breathe a sigh of relief. By the time that Mister Rink pulled the levers and sent them on their own journey into hyperspace, she was finally prepared to consider the mission a success.

Beric had made himself scarce by that time, choosing to isolate himself in the Interceptor's cargo bay. Rink performed a micro-jump of several hundred light years before coming out and making a course correction that would take them back to Dromund Kaas.

It was during that time that Avaryss sent off a transmission to her master, informing him of her success.

Darth Feer had been most pleased.

She had offered to broadcast him the access code to the carrier frequency they had sought, but he rejected that idea. Even a scrambled transmission could be picked up by the clever, and they had to assume that they were being plotted against, especially now.

He ordered her to bring back the code back, and put it in the hands of Warmaster Feore, personally. The old pure blood's people would decode the transmission, and then he would have a new set of targets for her to investigate.

"You should celebrate when you reach Dromund Kaas," he advised, "Once we have decrypted the messages being sent out by the droids of the Empire I suspect that you will be very busy."

"I welcome that, my lord," she said bowing her head, "I'm eager to see this through to the end."

Her master gave her a warm smile.

"You continue to impress me, my dear child. Stay that course, and all your dreams will be yours."

Avaryss had bowed her head again as her master faded from the hyper-comm. His praise warmed her, and once again, she found herself conflicted.

The man was her mortal enemy. Her alliance with him was a business relationship nothing more, when the time came she would tear him off his throne and leave him broken and finished. She would take his place and her family would finally know rest, vengeance would finally be hers.

Speaking of her family, she thought with a frown.

She had said nothing about Beric to Lord Feer, she had not thought of a good way to bring the subject up. He knew she had taken one of Colonel Essada's men for her staff, but nothing else.

She would need to come up with something, her master would find out eventually, and when that happened she would need to have a proper excuse in place.

Bringing Keera Lylos' brother along on her missions could be considered…a distraction.

When Lord Feer **does** find out, what will you do? The darkness whispered.

What if he demands Beric's head?

The realization worried her, but not for the reason one might expect.

Avaryss was Sith; she would not allow anything to threaten her survival. If her master asked for Beric Lylos' head, she would do it, but at the same time she would make note of that death.

It would be just another mark in the ledger between her master and her.

One day, she would see all those marks paid back, with interest, and blood.

IOI

As the adrenalin from the mission faded the aches and pains of her recent battle came down hard upon her. She retreated to the medical bay, with Two-Vee in tow, the droid had medical programming so he was more than up to the task to tending to the minor injuries she had received in her duel with that Jedi Knight.

She had suffered several minor chemical and fire burns when she had split open that barrel with her lightsaber. The droid analyzed her wounds and applied the proper creams and sprays to aid in the healing process. He finished his work off with Kolto patches; these would speed up the healing process greatly, and prevent any further scaring.

Avaryss was grateful to hear that last part. She had enough scars as it was.

Changing into a simple black vest and leggings, she went to check up on the members of her crew. They had just come through another interesting mission and she wanted to make sure that they carried no lingering concerns.

She found Holli at work on the HK droid that she had purchased, the engineer had found some interesting information on droid restoration within Sego Thunn's computer. She was knelt down before the droid, probing inside its chasis with this tool or that one. Avaryss did not ask her to stand at attention, preferring to let the young woman work. She was laboring for Avaryss after all. Plus, Holli seemed more confident now of being able to restore the droid to working order, it would take time, but it would be worth it, if it yielded another weapon in her master's arsenal.

Avaryss was pleased.

"Have you served in the Imperial navy long?" she asked the girl, "You mentioned something about your family being travelling mechanics?"

Holli nodded.

"I've been in the Empire for…almost five years now. I did my basic training on Dromund Kaas before being sent to the engineering academy. It was useful to get into the engineering corps, but to be honest, I learn most of what I know from my parents, they taught me and my brother and sister well."

Holli eyes twinkled, lost in a brief happy memory before returning to the job at hand.

My parents have wanders souls," she said with a fond smile, "They travel all over, offering their talents to those in need. There are many places from the center of power that benefit from the skills of a good mechanic or engineer. My parents and siblings are among the best."

"Yet, you chose to leave them, join the Empire?'

"I did," Holli said reaching behind her for a tool.

"Why?"

"During the last war, my parents were quite busy. So many people were in need, so many people needed their expertise. We were just leaving one such world when the Empire arrived. We just managed to slip through the blockade before the full might of the Empire came crashing down."

Holli shook her head.

I remember watching the Imperial fleet moving in. How quickly the heavy cruisers and other warships moved in and secured the planet. I had never seen anything so powerful, or beautiful."

The engineer grinned.

"In that moment, all I wanted was to be aboard one of those ships. I wanted to get inside their engines and find out what made them tick. I think that was the moment that I chose to join the Empire, seeing those ships, the power of them…

"How could we possibly lose?"

The Sith smiled.

"You have chosen wisely then," Avaryss said, " The peace will not last forever, and one day, the galaxy will bow down before the Dark Lords of the Sith."

"I will do what I can to hasten that day, my lord," Holli promised, "You can be sure of that.

Avaryss left her then, returning to her work. As she made her way to the bridge, she noticed something odd.

Holli had barely moved while they had been speaking, yet, she remembered the girl reaching behind her several times for this tool or that, getting it out of the tool box behind her.

The young Sith's eyes narrowed.

The tool box was too far away for Holli to reach for a tool, not without physically getting up and finding it, yet, she had done just that.

Avaryss reached out with the Force. She probed the young Engineer.

She did not sense the Force strongly within her. Holli was not Force sensitive, she had not used telekinesis to retrieve those tools; she did not have the power to do anything like that. Avaryss probed deeper and still found nothing, if anything the girl felt like any other mundane that Avaryss had encountered, but once again, something unexplained had occurred.

She was not sure what to make of that.

She would have to answer those questions. She did not like the unanswered. For now, she would permit Holli to continue her work.

The girl still had use after all.

Rink had been dozing in the pilot's chair as she stepped into the cockpit, his hands resting over his heart as he leaned back in the chair. At first, she had thought the former street rat had not heard her approach.

"You need something, Boss?"

"Any problems," she asked.

He sighed and shook his head no.

"I set us a nice leisurely course back to Dromund Kaas," he informed her, "Anyone seeking to find us on the direct path home will be waiting for quite a while."

He grinned.

"I figured we should be cautious, just in case someone is watching for us. That is a good idea isn't it?"

"It is," she nodded, "You learn quickly, Mister Rink, you are starting to anticipate my commands."

"Merely dancing to the tune you are calling, boss," he said smugly, "That being said, I have to ask. You sure it is a good idea bringing soldier boy along? He could become a problem?"

Her eyes narrowed.

She assumed that soldier boy was a clever nickname for Beric.

"Are you questioning my decisions?" she asked.

"No, just…thinking. You don't strike me as one of those spit and polish types, boss. You like to play by your own rules. Soldier boy strikes me as the follow the established rules type; he might cramp your style."

"Your concern is noted," she said, "In fact, I'm on my way to speak with Lieutenant Lylos right now, make sure that he understands how we do things here."

"Smart move," Rink agreed, "Remember, if you need someone to help remove the body, all you have to do is ask."

Avaryss chuckled.

She should have been insulted by his presumption, but instead was more amused than anything else.

"I'll keep that in mind," she said, "By the way, feel free to give your little Twilek girl's name to Warmaster Feore when we return, he might be able to find a lead or two on her whereabouts."

"Sure thing, boss," he said, "Thanks."

She nodded.

Rink at least was understandable, his motivations were easy to anticipate and use to her advantage.

He was not wrong about Beric.

She sighed.

This would not be the most pleasant of conversations.

IOI

It took her more than a few moments to work up her courage to speak to him; she had stood outside the cargo bay, trying to prepare herself, to psyche herself up.

_You are not going into battle_, she reminded herself, _and Beric will have questions. You simply have to choose the right answers._

_There are things that he is not ready to know yet._

_You must choose wisely in what you tell him._

She realized that she still had her lightsaber clipped to her belt. She did not plan to use it, but…

If it looks like he will be a threat to my power, then I must do what I must.

I will not have my position threatened…

…Not even by my own blood.

She stepped forward without any further thought. There was no more reason to hesitate.

He was her brother.

She needed to know if he was going to be an ally or a problem. If he was to be a problem, then he would have to be removed.

_I __**won't **__hesitate,_ she thought.

_I know what must be done._

She found her brother standing at one of the work stations near the back of the hold; he had powered up one of the work benches and was using it to service his weapon. He was disassembling his sniper rifle with almost machine like precision.

Seeing him like that, it stopped her cold.

She remembered her last real conversation with her father; he had also been servicing a weapon when they had met.

She hoped that this conversation would end better than that one did.

"Lieutenant," she called out.

He turned and snapped to attention, a good soldier to the end, it seemed.

Again she felt a small shiver run down her spine.

The years had changed her brother, stripped away the impishness of his features. In many ways he reminded her of a younger version of their father. He had the same build, the same eyes and haircut. He even seemed to stand the same.

She endeavored to not be distracted.

He needed to know how things would be around here.

She would not have him interfering in her plans.

"Is there something that you require of me, my lord?" he asked, his voice as cold an even as a droid's.

She sighed.

"You may stand at ease," she said gesturing, ""I wish to speak freely with you, and off the record."

She gave him a grim smile.

"I'm sure you have many questions."

He stood at ease, but still watched her carefully. She kept her distance, just in case.

She did not think that he would harm her, but it was better safe than sorry, plus, if she needed to draw her weapon she would need room.

If Beric was to fall, she would do it as quickly and painlessly as possible.

She owed him that much.

"I'm not sure what I should ask, my lord," he said coolly, "Seeing you now, being able to look into your eyes. It…it is like looking at a ghost."

She smiled.

"I could say the same, lieutenant."

His eyes narrowed, she felt a flash of anger. Perhaps he thought she was mocking him.

"You use to call me Ric, Keera."

Hearing her former name made her wince.

She should have expected to hear it from his lips again, but still…

It was a reminder of what she had given up, what she had left behind.

She had no desire to be reminded of such things.

"Please do not say that name again, lieutenant," she said.

He gave her a curious look.

"It is your name isn't it?"

She turned on him, her eyes flashing.

"That name, no longer has any use or value for me."

"It was our grandmother's name, don't you remember?"

"I remember much," she replied, "Just the same, do not use it again."

She sighed.

"When we are in private, you may address me either as sister or…or Avy."

"Avy?" he asked.

"Yes," she said, "A friend of mine…she calls me Avy."

He nodded.

"Fair enough, _sister_, fair enough."

"Thank you, brother."

He shook his head.

"I must confess, when your helmet came off, when I saw your face, I…part of me…it could not believe it."

He looked her up and down.

"You've grown up, the little girl that used to tag along after father and I, she is no longer here, is she?"

"She is gone," Avaryss admitted, "But everything she was…it is a part of me now."

He shook his head again.

"I still can't believe that we found each other again. The galaxy is huge, the chance of the two of us meeting again, the odds are astronomical."

Avaryss shrugged.

"The Force moves us in mysterious ways," she said, "There must be some reason for our reunion. It is now up to us to figure out why."

He sniffed.

"You're saying that we were meant to meet again? It sounds a little far-fetched."

She gave him a sly look.

"Don't underestimate the Force," she held up her hand, blue-violet lightning crackled between her fingers.

"Where the Force is concerned, nothing is impossible."

He nodded, probably not sure what to make of what he was seeing.

"How," he asked, "How did you gain the power of the masters?"

"I was born with the power, brother. Once my powers awakened, I quickly learned that it was impossible for me to deny them. I've spent the last few years training in their use in the Sith Academies, learning to master the ancient arts."

She smiled proudly.

"Now…here I stand before you, a full Sith, an apprentice to a Darth, and one day, I shall be a lord myself, I've foreseen it."

Her brother smiled slightly.

"My sister, the Sith Master, never thought I would be able to say those words."

She giggled.

"You will be surprised what I can accomplish. Given time and further training, anything in the Empire could be mine."

Her brother's expression turned serious. Avaryss felt a slight shift in the Force.

It seemed the banter was done.

His expression was…pained.

"How about the truth," he asked, "What can you tell me about that?"

She frowned.

"It depends on what truth you seek."

"I think you already know, sister," he said, "What happened to our family, sister? What happened on Oridanna?"

She winced.

Here it was, she thought, "What could she tell him?

She needed to be careful.

"What did you hear," she asked him, "What was the official story of what happened?"

Beric frowned.

"They told me you were dead, all of you. That some outlaws had attacked the farm; that they murdered you all and escaped. They told me that our father fought bravely, holding out until reinforcements could arrive, only to have them cut down as well."

Her brother took a shuddering breath.

"I was told that our father died a hero."

Avaryss considered what he had said.

"Is that not how you would wish to remember him?" she asked, "You know what kind of man our father was."

"It is a good story, but that is all it is, a story. It is not the truth, is it?" he gave her an icy look.

"What happened to our family, Keera? I deserve to know."

Her fingers curled into angry fists.

It was hard to say which made her angrier, his use of her former name, or the presumption that he deserved to know what happened.

"You have served in the Imperial Navy long enough to know that not everything can be told to everyone. Some secrets must be kept for the common good." she said, "And besides…"

She smiled cruelly.

"I don't remember you mentioning in your transmissions home that you had joined Black ops? I thought you said you were an officer on a warship."

"Don't change the subject," he said.

"But it is all related," She said, "You are a good soldier, brother. I saw that during our mission together. You understand that some things are better left unsaid, at least until they can cause no harm."

He glared at her.

"So you are not going to tell me what happened?"

"Not yet," she said.

He looked like he was about to yell at her, that he was about to demand more, but then he stopped; he looked down at her belt at the lightsaber hanging there.

Her hand had drifted to it during their conversation.

Did he understand what that meant, she thought he did.

Her brother was not a foolish man.

He met her gaze, she could see the surprise in his eyes, feel it in his emotions.

"Would you hurt me, sister?" he asked.

Her expression turned cold.

"It would not please me, brother," she said, "I refuse that the Force simply brought us back together so that I could play executioner."

"You would slay your own flesh and blood?"

"Not without reason," she sighed, "Look. I give you my word that one day I will tell you the full story about what happened that night. The story is…complicated, and you do not need to live with the distraction, not now."

"You think that knowing the truth would distract me? Part of me died the day that I heard that you were all killed. When it happened, my duty did not seem as important as it once was. I only ended up in black ops because…"

He growled and shook his head. She could feel the anger radiating off of him.

"It does not matter, not anymore." He said, "We're both here, and what has happened in the past no longer matters, does it, my lord?"

Avaryss pursed her lips.

She hated keeping her silence, but at the same time.

"The past is dead," she informed him, "It is to the future that we must look. The Empire is in danger. What we recovered on Taris is just another link in a chain that will aid me in protecting the Empire, protecting our home."

"I need you Ric," she said taking a step towards him, "Your skills will be most useful in the completion of this mission. Together we will be able to protect our empire, restore security and order to its ranks. You took an oath to serve, and I, as a Sith, am holding you to that oath."

Her crimson eyes narrowed.

"Stand with me, brother, and what you desire will be yours, I promise."

Beric continued to glare at her, it was clear that he was not happy with what she had told him, but at the same time, he would not question.

He was an Imperial after all, he knew what would happen if he disobeyed.

His expression became a grim mask.

"I understand my duty, my lord," he said coldly, professionally, "you need a soldier. You **have** one. I will carry out my duties to the best of my ability."

That is all that I ask lieutenant," she said, "that is all that I want."

She turned to leave, feeling his cold eyes on her back, feeling the betrayal he felt for her denying him.

He does not approve, well that is just too bad?

He would not understand what had happened; the choices she had made?

Who could but another Sith?

She headed back to her quarters, she wanted to be left alone, to meditate and find her center, to find the darkness again.

She wanted to feel its cold embrace.

"Wait."

His words stopped her, the pain in them, the feeling.

She glanced over her shoulder; her brother looked at her with pained eyes, eyes that she had not seen since they were children.

"Sister, Keera, Avy, or whatever else you wish to call yourself, know this…"

"Yes," she hissed.

"I'm….I'm glad you are not dead. Never doubt that I missed you, that I've missed all of you."

She almost sneered at that.

Such foolish sentiment, but as the same time…

…it did no harm to let him think she felt the same.

She smiled weakly.

"I've…I've missed you Ric," she said, "It…it has been far too long."

"It has, sister," he said, "Far too long."

"Get some rest brother," she advised, "We will need to move quickly when the time comes."

She left him then, happy to be free of him, free of the confusing emotions he had awakened in her.

The last lie she had told served its purpose, it should buy her the time she needed. Beric would help her now, but…

…_Was it truly a lie?_

_Had she not missed him, on some level?_

She frowned.

She did not want to answer that. She could not.

Her feelings did not matter, the dark side is what mattered, and the defense of the Empire is what mattered.

She could not possess all one day if there was nothing left to possess.

I will save the Empire, she thought, and Emperor save anyone that tried to get in her way.

Hopefully, her brother would understand that, if not, well…

She smiled coldly.

Her crew, her disciples would be ready to help her hide the body.

That was good.

It was nice knowing that she did not stand alone.


	17. Fun and Games

**Chapter 17: Fun and Games**

The Nexus Room Cantina was the place to be if you were a Sith in Kaas City.

Avaryss had been here many times since she had arrived with Darth Feer, usually on his arm, or acting as a bodyguard when he met with one of his allies, or rivals. The Sith both understood and accepted the fact that the Nexus Room was more than just a drinking establishment for the Empire's ruling class, it was neutral territory, no violence was permitted here, and so it served well as a meeting place for both the great, and near great of the Empire.

Avaryss was neither of those, not yet, her purpose for coming to the Nexus Room this evening was the fact that it was likely the only place in the capital that she could get a decent drink. It was likely the only watering hole on the planet that kept Oridanna wine among its vast collection of drinks and spirits.

To most Sith, places like Oridanna were backwaters. They saw little or no value in such places; they thought it devoid of any treasures, despite the valuable resources that the Empire collected from such worlds. The Nexus Room did so because it tried to encompass the full experience of Imperial rule. Food and drink from almost anywhere in the Empire was available here.

If Avaryss desired a small taste of home, she needed to come here. It was one of the least expensive drinks on the menu, but that was fine with her. Thanks to her new deal with TCS, she could afford the more exotic if she desired it, but, for the moment, that had little appeal.

"So what do you think?"

Avaryss looked up at her friend, Taya had joined her this evening, both to help her relax, and to give her an update on how the work was progressing with the alchemist that Avaryss had acquired

She brought the wine glass to her nose, smelling the sweet smell that she had first experienced at fourteen, when she and Ro Wilkes had helped themselves to a bottle from her father's stores. The smell took her back to a simpler time, a time before it felt like she had the weight of the galaxy on her shoulders.

She intended to savor every sip.

It was possibly the only way she would experience a taste of her former home.

"I think that we need to be cautious," she admitted, after what I saw on Taris and Nar Shadda, I would say that the Empire as a whole is in danger."

She shook her head.

"I think I might need that mask that the alchemist promised soon enough."

They sat at a table in the back; watching their fellow Sith as they wove their way back and forth through the establishment. It was a subtle thing, but if you watched closely, you could almost tell who was currently at odds with, or in open rivalry with their fellows. Sith ambitions knew no limit, so it was not hard to imagine that at least some of the lords here had one issue or another with one or two of their fellows.

Avaryss found the whole display…distasteful.

The whole thing sickened her.

_We are being threatened_, she thought_, an unknown enemy, with both Jedi and Republic ties is manipulating us, and we continue to dance to the tune they call. We proceed ahead with no thought of who might seek to benefit from our infighting._

She had theory. She believed that the droids under the sway of Republic SIS were feeding what they learned to Republic agents, who, in turn, using pawns, were offering that information back to the Sith, information that the lords thought would aid them in the destruction of their rivals. She was not yet sure what role the Jedi Order had in this, whether that knight she had faced on Taris had simply been supplying security or if he had truly been a part of what was going on. Regardless, what was happening showed that the Republic and Jedi had evolved in their dealings with the Empire. This whole scheme showed a cunning that no Sith would have expected out of their old adversaries. It spoke of an unexpected embrace of the game that was Sith politics It was an old game, the gathering of such information against ones rivals was not uncommon in the Empire, what was uncommon was the amount of information. Too many Sith were learning too many things, too fast…

It was a recipe for disaster.

"The mask will be ready soon," Taya promised her, "At least that is what our friend says," the blonde smiled.

"My father asked me to thank you; the man is proving to be quite useful. Father still hopes to convince him to join our family permanently; his services would be more than valuable. Plus, both mother and my little brother have taken a bit of a shine to the man's daughter."

Taya giggled.

"I think my brother is experiencing his first crush."

Avaryss nodded.

She cared little about the man and his daughter, she had spared him for a reason; if that reason paid off, so be it.

She just hoped that Taya and her family were prepared to do what must be done if things did not work out. What good was a threat if not carried out?

In the meantime, it was not a bad idea to provide a little incentive to one's would-be minions.

"I may have something more for your father in the near future," Avaryss informed her, "I've recently come into some credits, and I could use his help in setting up a way for me to have easy access to them. I trust your Lord Father understands such things?"

"Quite well," her friend agreed, "Speaking of credits, I've been spreading a few around, looking for information on your master and his family, as you requested."

Avaryss gave her an arched look.

Before she had returned from Nar Shadda, she _had_ contacted Taya, and asked her to see what she could find out about Darth Feer's daughter. The holo she had seen in Lady Synestra's quarters all but convinced her that one **had** existed.

Now she wished to know what the other girl had found.

"You found something?"

Taya shrugged.

"I found nothing, which is…something in itself."

"Explain," Avaryss said.

Her friend smiled.

"I had to be discreet of course; most Darths do not look kindly on apprentices looking into their history. You said to look for a girl about our age, perhaps a little younger. I found several promising leads, yet they all led me to nothing, records that should have existed were simply not there. Every time I thought I was on the right track, it fell apart. Whole sections of information dealing with House Feer's history were purged, possibly at the Darth's request."

Avaryss grinned.

Taya was right, sometimes finding nothing **was** something.

_Erased, huh? How interesting._

Feer had covered his tracks; clearly there was something in the past that he did not want others to have access to. Was it the mysterious girl she had seen in the holo? Had he had another child beside Bael? What had happened to her? Something bad, she figured, something embarrassing, it could be, she supposed.

_What are you hiding, master_, she thought to herself, _and how can I turn it to my advantage. How can I sharpen it and turn it into a weapon that can be pointed at your throat?_

She nodded.

Taya had done well.

"You will keep searching," she told her friend, "But remember to be discreet. Lord Feer may not like you digging into his past."

"Of course," Taya replied, "Anything for you, you know that."

Avaryss forced down a blush.

There it was again and again Taya must have picked up on it.

Her friend smirked at her, giving her a knowing look that drew Avaryss out of her musings."

"What?" she asked.

Taya chuckled.

"Enough business, I thought this was supposed to be a party?" she said, "It is not often that we both can get away from our burdens. Perhaps we should try enjoying ourselves?"

Avaryss nodded.

Perhaps that was a good idea.

For the moment she was free of her master's chain. He had allowed her free reign of the city tonight, to celebrate her recent successes, but the work still intruded on her, even as she was surrounded by the pleasures that the Empire offered one such as her.

_How can I enjoy myself when we are being threatened?_ She wondered.

She knew there was nothing she could do until Warmaster Feore deciphered the carrier signal's transmissions, once that was done, they would at last know where to strike, and they would need to strike hard.

_That is the future_, the darkside seemed to whisper. _Try living in the present, revel in your success._

_Who knows when you will get the chance to do so again?_

She acknowledged the truth in that, still it was not an easy thing to let her guard down. She had contacted Taya, hoping that the other girl could help. They had had good times together.

She hoped that they might find some tonight.

She gave Taya a sheepish grin.

"I think I've been an apprentice for too long," she said, "Since I joined House Feer there have been little time for revels. It seems that everything I do these days is for my master or my desire for greater power."

"That is important," Taya agreed, "But you have to know how to let your hair down too. What is the point of saving the Empire if we don't enjoy living in it? We might as well be Jedi if all we have is duty.

She gently touched Avaryss' wrist, ran her finger down her hand.

It was…a simple gesture, but it made Avaryss shudder, her arm broke out in gooseflesh.

The touch had been innocent, she supposed, but combined with Taya's emotions and what Avaryss was feeling through the Force, it also suggested an intimacy that she had not experienced in quite some time.

It threw her off balance, at least for a moment, Taya seemed to enjoy that; no doubt she could sense what Avaryss was feeling.

The blonde girl smiled, and gave her friend's hand a reassuring squeeze.

"You will be no good to anyone if you're mentally and physically exhausted. Let us find some fun tonight. Surely the capital has something to offer two beautiful young Sith?"

Avaryss smiled gamely.

"The capital is not without its charms," she agreed, "Do you have any ideas?"

"Hm," Taya said searching the room with her eyes, and possibly even the Force.

She stopped when she found the bar; a sly grin came to her face.

"Ah, there we are," she purred.

Avaryss followed where the other girl was looking.

She gave her friend a sly look.

"So I see," she murmured.

It appeared that the two of them had been noticed.

The two boys at the bar were watching them, now that Avaryss realized that, she sensed their subtle regard through the Force. Both were broad shouldered brutes, handsome in the way that most Sith warriors were. One was paled skinned, the other was dark skinned, they radiated a sort of danger, a potential for violence and dark power that some female Sith found intriguing. The dark side crackled within them.

Dangerous these two, Avaryss thought, and possibly exciting.

"Look Avy," Taya said hungrily, "Party favors."

She pursed her lips, evaluating the two.

"Cute," she murmured, "But…"

Taya shook her head.

"I thought you were going to try and enjoy yourself?"

"I am, but…"

Her friend gave her a sad look.

"It has been almost a year, how much longer are you planning on mourning Fehl? I know you loved him Avy, but he is gone."

She touched her hand again.

"He is not coming back."

Avaryss said nothing, but she felt a flicker of anger at the other girl's words.

_In this, Taya knew __**nothing.**_

She _**could**_ bring Fehl back, she was sure of it.

She just needed the right materials, and his spirit. The dark side offered the chance of resurrection, one just needed the strength and the will to see it carried out.

"Even if you **could** bring him back," Taya continued, "You have to ask yourself, what would be left? The madness beyond death that awaits all Sith is not called that because it is a gentle rest. There is a reason why the ancient lords chose to bind their souls to the tombs on Korriban."

_All the more reason that I must try and save him,_ Avaryss thought_, plus, who knew what things Fehl had access to beyond the world of the living. What secrets was only the dead privy to, how strong they would both become when she finally brought him back? Together they would change the Sith order forever._

Taya smiled at her.

"Try to have some fun tonight," her friend advised, "That is what those two boys want, and what we _**should**_ want. Why should we not do what we can to enjoy the evening, and all its…possibilities?

Avaryss thought about that and smiled.

Taya did have a point, and besides…

She still needed to find a strong handsome body to bind Fehl's spirit to, someone both physically pleasing, and with a strength in the Force.

Why should she not begin her search here? Why should she not…_sample_ the merchandise on offer?

She nodded.

"You are right Tay," she said, "Let's have some fun."

Her friend giggled and rose from her chair; she began to make a slow lazy path over towards the two young warriors, Avaryss followed in her wake.

They did not wish to startle their prey, or seem…over eager. They moved as one, but with a sense of subtlety.

Avaryss' heart fluttered nervously.

It has been a long time, she thought, she hated to admit it, but she missed the pleasures of the flesh. She had not experienced such sensations since her last morning with Fehl.

Perhaps it was time to change that.

It was at that moment that her path was interrupted. A small thin human blocked her way. She stopped glaring angrily, Taya noticed and turned around.

Avaryss regarded the one who had bumped into her with disdain.

What was this now?

He was scrawny, clearly not well fed, and from his clothes not from among the ruling class. He was young she thought, her age perhaps, but having none of her talents in the Force. He refused to meet her direct gaze, looking down at the floor, but that might have been more to do with his…alteration than his self-worth.

The whole left hand side of the boy's head was cybernetic, chrome plated with copper colored fittings, as was his arm on that side. Avaryss had seen many cyborgs here in Dromund Kaas, but never a slave who had been so augmented.

Why would a Sith waste time giving a lesser cyborg components, it did not make sense?

"What is this," she demanded, "Why are you interrupting my evening?"

"My apologies, great one," the slave stammered, his voice clicking slightly, sounding more machine than human, "Are you Avaryss, apprentice to Darth Feer?"

"I am," she said, "What is this about?"

The slave nodded grimly.

"Not here," he said, "My master has a message for you, and it is not for prying eyes. Will you follow me, please?"

Avaryss sneered down at him.

"Why should I?"

"It is about the prize you recovered on Taris," the boy said, "My master wishes to offer you some insight into what you have discovered."

Avaryss's eyes narrowed.

_What was __**this**__ now?_

Taya gave her a curious look.

Avaryss smiled at her.

"Go make the proper introductions for us;" she told her friend, "You should hurry, before someone else seeks to…enjoy such pleasing company."

The other girl nodded.

"You will be back?" Taya asked.

"Yes, I need to take care of some business, it should not be long."

"Okay," Taya said, and continued on towards the two men.

Avaryss looked down on the slave.

"Lead on," she informed him.

"Let's make this quick."

IOI

He led her to a small alley not far from the Nexus Room, his one human eye darting back and forth, likely checking to make sure that they were not followed.

This better be worth my time, she thought angrily, the evening was just starting to get interesting, if this worm has spoiled that, he will answer for it. No matter who his master is, he will pay.

The slave did not stop until he was sure that they were not being observed.

He sighed.

"Accessing system, beginning transmission, now," he murmured.

The young man began to convulse.

Avaryss reached for her lightsaber, fearing this might be a trap.

Foolish, she thought, she had sensed no deception in this man, but that did not make him any less dangerous. A cyborg could be programmed to inflict damage without the human mind knowing anything about it until it was too late, it could be…

The slave's cybernetic eye began to glow, he lowered his head before her, and a holographic image appeared between them, projected from the cyborg's mechanical eye, a very familiar one.

Avaryss sneered.

"Darth Terrog," she said coldly, "What a surprise!"

"Greetings, youngster," the massive cyborg said, "It appears that my slave managed to find you after all, how fortuitous."

She crossed her arms over her chest; she looked upon the holo with disdain.

"You turned your servant into a living hyper-comm? Your toy is an interesting use of technology, my lord, but possibly a waste considering the subject."

"One of my more successful experiments," the Dark Lord said, "I wanted to see if it was possible to slave advanced technology to the human mind, My success with this one taught me so much, my new apprentice's programing is far superior and much stronger."

The dark lord beamed with pride.

"Perhaps the two of you will meet one day."

Avaryss suppressed a shudder.

She knew of course that Terrog did not limit his research to himself and his slaves. He used his genetic and scientific skills on his followers as well, seeking to improve not only their physical bodies, but their connection to the Force as well.

His success…was debatable, but also undeniable.

He knew how to make powerful brutes, that was for sure, Terrog's own form was proof of that.

She found herself grateful that she was not Terrog's apprentice. The man did not seem to understand the difference between student, and test subject.

She actually felt sorry for whoever had been chosen by the Darth.

Do not be intimidated, the darkness within whispered, do not give him that advantage.

Stand up, and remain strong.

She decided to do just that.

"We could stand here all night debating the pros and cons of your research, my lord, but I sense that is not the reason you sent your messenger, is it?"

The Dark Lord nodded.

"You are correct, it is not."

Terrog sighed and met her gaze, his strange droid-eyes staring into her organic ones.

"I have a task for you, young one. It is a task that will benefit both your master and I. You would be wise not to reject this offer out of turn."

Avaryss almost laughed.

Neither she nor her master were in the habit of doing favors for people, especially people that made them look bad before the dark council.

"And what makes you think that I will do anything for you? My master would never agree to help a rival, especially one that he seeks to replace."

"He may change his mind when he sees what I've brought him. It is a chance for him to avenge not only a recent slight, but learn more about the enemy that is even now plaguing our Empire. The ones who placed droids with a subtle espionage program build into their core programming."

Terrog smiled cruelly at her.

"I know you were recently on Taris, girl. I trust you got the carrier frequency from Sego Thunn before you killed him? After all, it is what I would have done in your place."

Avaryss frowned.

The Darth was…well informed, that was for certain. Still, she decided not to make it too easy on him.

"I know nothing about any carrier frequency," she lied, "You must be mistaken."

"There is no reason to lie, child," he said, "I found the programming that Thunn had hidden in so many of our droids. It was not difficult to trace the work back to him, not when I knew what I was looking for."

Avaryss eyes narrowed.

"And how did you find that out, my lord?" she asked, "I cannot confirm or deny what I know, but perhaps you would be willing to share what you found out, in the interest of good will, if you truly want me to undertake a mission on both my master and your behalf, I will need details."

Terrog chuckled, amused by her audacity.

It seemed that he was willing to humor her.

He told her what he knew.

"I've used droid processors to augment my experiment's minds many times child. Before any installation, I go over the mechanical parts I'm using quite thoroughly, I found the program that you and your master are no doubt investigating, and from there traced it back to its source."

Terrog sneered.

"If your master had not decided to involve Darth Baras in our affairs, it might have been me that beat you to Thunn on Taris. Yet, I hold no grudge, I admire him for the use of trickery and deceit, it is a weapon that all Sith must use if they wish to succeed."

"So, what is it you want, my lord," she asked, "I can't imagine that there is anything I can do that a Darth could do better."

"You may be surprised, youngster," he replied, "You remember the food shipment that was lost, the one that your master blamed on me."

"I take it you are going to claim innocence?"

"For the attack, yes, for the bacteria, no, It was created by me, but stolen and sold off by an unknown enemy, and enemy that sought to bring both your and master and I to blows. In that, they succeeded."

Avaryss considered what he was saying.

She frowned.

"You think it was the same people that hired Thunn? You think they wanted to force a conflict between you and my master?"

"You don't sound surprised? Good." Terrog nodded, "It seems that my old rival was not completely foolish in choosing a student. It seems that you are at least capable of thinking for yourself."

"More than capable," she said, "In fact, I can do far more than think. I take it you have a lead on theft?"

"I do, and that is where you come in, young one. I need someone to deal with the thieves. I wish to send a message to any who would dare oppose the Empire."

He smiled cruelly.

"I take it that you would be up for such a challenge?"

"I wouldn't mind," she replied, "Though I am curious. Why offer this to me? Why not handle the matter yourself, or send one of your own apprentices?"

"The Dark Council has forbidden my leaving of Dromund Kaas. They did not take kindly to the destruction of that food shipment, and blame me for what happened. I could send my apprentice, but he is not ready yet, his body has not adapted to all the improvements that I've made, not to mention the fact that his programing is incomplete."

Terrog shook his head.

"These thieves hurt your master as much as they hurt me. I'm sure that Lord Feer would not mind a bit of payback. He gets to destroy a place that once had value to me, and at the same time gain some knowledge about our mutual enemies."

Avaryss sneered.

"And if I fail, your rival loses his apprentice. You get to claim victory either way. Ingenious."

"Thank you, girl, as I said you have a sharp mind."

Avaryss suppressed a growl.

The cyborg would find her lightsaber even sharper, still, what he offered, there was value in it.

"I will need to bring this to my master. He still has to sign off on this."

"By all means," Terrog said, "Though I do advise speed. Who knows how long these thieves will remain where they can be reached."

The cyborg slave raised his arm, he seemed completely oblivious to what was going on around him, his organic eye stared blankly; a bit of drool ran down his gaping mouth.

The mechanical arm split open revealing a data card. Avaryss took it.

"That data card contains everything I know about the theft, and the location of the thieves, it is a space station on the edge of Hutt space. The slugs will not mind its destruction; it is currently under the control of the Exchange. I trust you are not afraid of such a low class of gangster apprentice?"

"Not at all," Avaryss said with a hint of a smile. In truth she welcomed the violence, it helped keep her sharp.

She had not expected to find any leads tonight.

This meeting proved to be most profitable.

"Thank you," she said to the hologram, "I will bring this to my master."

"I would expect nothing less," Terrog said, "And if I may offer a bit of advice."

"I'm listening," Avaryss said.

Terrog made a sound she took to be a laugh.

"Your master might find this offering more palatable if he knew that you took it from a slain agent of mine. I've learned all I can from this test subject. I would be most pleased if you terminated it for me."

Avaryss smirked.

She looked at the blank faced slave.

She grinned.

Putting such a creature out of his misery would be a mercy, and besides, Terrog was not wrong.

Killing one of his agents would go a long way to sell the story to her master.

"Good luck, youngster," the dark lord said bowing, "May the Force serve you well."

"And you, Lord Terrog," she said, igniting her lightsaber.

The image of the dark lord vanished; the slave blinked slowly becoming aware of his surroundings.

She did not give him the chance to finish.

Her blade took his head; it came away with a shower of sparks and the slight smell of burnt meat.

The body fell to the ground, just another piece of refuse to be cleaned up by the Imperial sanitation crews.

Avaryss shivered with excitement. She slipped the data card into her pocket.

Her master would be most pleased to learn of this conversation, but…

She smiled slyly.

…Not tonight.

The encounter with Terrog, the blood she had spilled set a fire in her. Every nerve ending was tingling, her heart beat faster.

She thought of Taya and the two boys back at the bar.

She had had her fill of violence for the night, now she was in the mood for some vice.

She took a shuddering breath, her mouth suddenly having gone dry.

She returned to the Nexus room with a tune on her lips and a spring in her step.

I do hope those boys are nice and rested, she thought. Most Sith bragged about having almost unlimited stamina, Emperor knew, her Fehl certainly had it.

She was looking forward to putting one of them to test.

Stay sharp boys, she thought, It is going to be long night….

…very long indeed.


	18. Wreckage

**Chapter 18: Wreckage**

The old tramp freighter shuddered as it exited hyperspace; it limped its way slowly toward one of the many docking ports. In its hold, Avaryss pulled her hood up farther, hiding her features. No one here would recognize her, she was sure of that, if anything the hood was more for her at this point then it was for them.

She could not imagine a more embarrassing way to arriving for a mission. Even the ship that had taken her to Tatooine had been in better shape than this thing. Of course, the people that came to places like as this were often desperate, or straight up had nothing to lose.

They likely didn't care what shape their transport was in, as long as they reached their destination.

Which they had…luckily.

The ship shuddered under her feet as it finally came to rest on the deck, two nights and a day stuffed into the damp rust covered hold had only served to irritate her.

Avaryss sighed heavily and rose from her small corner of the deck.

She had finally reached the station.

Now, it was time to burn it down.

She made her way towards the now lowering ramp, one of many people that had been stuffed into the cargo hold, the sights and sounds of the place floated in to greet her, as the world became a din of unwashed alien bodies, and the squeak, purr, and squawk of many raised inhuman voices.

The young Sith clad in a plain unadorned dark gray robes, looked around seeing both with her eyes and with the Force.

This place was clearly no Dromund Kaas; it was amazing that it could support so many people.

It was amazing it could still function period.

The station that Darth Terrog's data card had brought her to was quite old, even the dark lord had not been sure who had built it, it was near Hutt space so most assumed that the slugs had seen to its construction, but that had never been verified. Since falling under the control of the Exchange some twenty odd years ago, trade and travel had almost tripled here. The exchange thugs that ran this place did not post the high port fees that the Hutts were famous for, and the chaos of the last war between the Empire and the Republic had set many people travelling, many of such had washed up here.

_This place is falling apart_, Avaryss realized, _the exchange clearly has no interest in keeping it maintained. They'll likely use it up, and abandon it just before it suffers that final systems failure that blows the entire place to atoms._

She shook her head.

No wonder the locals called this place: "The Wreck."

She slipped away from the crowd as soon as she got her feet on the station's deck. Already exchange hired thugs were approaching to assess the new arrivals and…tax them accordingly.

Avaryss had no desire to be stopped by them, she had business with the station's boss, and though presenting herself to these men might speed up that meeting she had chosen against it.

These people had stolen from a Darth; clearly they must know what the consequences of that are... If word reached them that a Sith was here, they might panic, and try to run.

She had no desire to waste any time on this business, these criminals were simply another link in a very long chain.

She would end this quickly, and move on to the next one, the next rung on the ladder.

Eventually, she would reach the top, and the person behind all the Empire's troubles.

She was eager to have that meeting, to say _hello_ to the troublemaker…hello…and _**good bye.**_

It was not hard for one such as her to slip unnoticed through the crowd, she moved with a speed beyond the norm for humans. It had been simplicity itself to slip past what passed for dock security and make her way into the station proper.

She wrinkled her nose as she emerged onto the stations main promenade.

She shook her head.

Unsurprising, it was as bad in here as it was in the docking bay.

The map she had found for this place showed it to look from the outside like a giant mushroom, the capped dome contained a city scape that was about ten city blocks wide, and six long. The central tower that rose from the center was used as both offices and control for the stations many functions, the reactors, atmosphere processors, and sanitation control was all beneath them, protruding like some long metallic horn from the stations bottom.

Long spokes stuck out from the central tower and into the domed outer shell, these were private launch tunnels for any Exchange vessel that came to the station, none of the criminals wished to risk the lives of their guests or business associates on the street she supposed.

It would be through one of these that she would make her exit when all was said and done. According to the floor plans, those launch bays were big enough to fit a ship the size of her interceptor. When this mission was complete she would summon Mister Rink with the beckon call she carried.

They would leave this place behind, a broken monument to those that opposed the Empire, or at the very least worked against it for profit.

It would serve as an example to others.

For now though, the station still teemed with life, noisy, dirty, and dark.

The sights and sounds of the cityscape here offended her senses.

Perhaps this was not such a good idea after all.

IOI

When she had first brought the data card to her master, she had thought she would be coming here in force, perhaps from the bridge of his dreadnaught. Avaryss imagined standing on the bridge and watching as Sith guns, gutted this place. She would have enjoyed that, and then, she would have boarded, leading troops through the landing bays, sweeping away any resistance in her master's name.

Darth Feer, and Warmaster Feore, had other ideas.

"And what would we tell the dark council when they asked why we attacked the place?" her master had inquired.

"That we were dealing with enemies of the Empire," She replied, "Is it not our way to make sure that such enemies never rise against us again?"

"True, but at the same time, we need to be cautious. We have enough to worry about with the Republic; we do not need to make the Exchange an enemy of the Empire too."

Her master shook his head.

"No," he said, "No, no, no, subtlety is the key here. You will go in alone and deal with the exchange boss. He will tell us what he knows, and then you may exterminate him."

Darth Feer smiled.

Avaryss did not, her eyes were angry, angry and disappointed.

She had thought she had earned the right to command her master's forces.

Did he not trust her, after everything she had done in his name, so far…?

…Did he _**still**_ not trust her?

Her master chuckled.

"You will get your chance to lead my armies in war soon enough, my child, be patient. Plus, never forget where you got this information, apprentice," he reminded her, "Terrog knows my temper; he may have wished me to strike hard at the station, to make an example of it."

"What if the station was rigged to explode if attacked," Warmaster Feore had added, "We could lose the bulk of our ships. A single agent will be able to accomplish just as much as a frontal assault."

Avaryss nodded.

She had not considered the dark lord using such a trap, but it made sense. For all she knew Terrog had agents already there, that this could all be some lure to draw their forces in.

She could already imagine the report that Terrog would deliver to the dark council. How Darth Feer had lost his fleet trying to settle an old grudge, and risked angering not only the Exchange, but their Hutt allies as well.

If this was a trap, it would be a good one.

Both Lord Feer and the Warmaster were right.

Subtlety was indeed the key if they were to be successful.

The old pure blood handed her a data card.

"Destroying the place should prove simple enough, according to our agents; its reactors are old and poorly maintained. You should have no problem destroying the station if that is your wish.

Avaryss nodded.

Again the old man spoke wisely.

She was tempted to believe that her master simply did not want her building a reputation with his soldiers, winning their loyalty. It was likely true on some level, still…

"As you command, master," she said bowing her head, "I shall be discreet."

And so she now found herself alone, wading through the filth and mire that was _the Wreck, _citizens of the doomed station made way for her as she passed. She may not have been wearing Sith robes or colors, but the wise could clearly sense that the one in their midst was no prey, but a predator on the prowl.

She reached out with the Force, seeking to project just that. As she made her way forward, her mind drifted back to the pleasures that she and Taya had enjoyed only a few nights ago.

It was a distraction, yes, but it was a good one.

Even the predators here seemed to sense that they were in the presence of an even greater one.

They made way for her, even if they did not completely understand why.

That understanding gave her time to reflect on what had happened with her old friend.

She was not entirely sure what to make of it.

Perhaps she never would.

IOI

By the time she had returned to the Nexus Room, Taya had already had the two young Sith eating out of her hand.

Avaryss had grinned.

It was always nice to know that you had someone you could depend on.

FimmRess and Urtel, that had been the two boys' names, had been most impressed to be in the presence of two such accomplished and beautiful Sith. The fact that Avaryss was an apprentice to a Darth intrigued them, and Taya, given her looks and sweet demeanor was even harder to resist.

Fimm had gone with Taya, while Avaryss had chosen Urtel. The four had enjoyed a most intriguing evening. They had been perfect gentlemen to Avaryss and Taya, who easily played the roles of two enchanted young girls.

At least until they had all grown board with all that, when the two ladies decided that they had enough playing the enchanted girls, and the boys finally realized that girls on their arm no longer wanted them to be gentlemen.

Fimm had access to a room owned by his master, a suite used to entertain the dark lord's powerful and wealthy guests. It was there that he and Urtel had brought them after a lovely time in the cantina.

It was then that the real fun had begun.

It was then that they finally decided to get down to what they really wanted.

Avaryss had remembered almost drowning in Urtel's dark crimson eyes. She remembered the feel of lips on her bare neck, sighing and shuddering with delight under his gentle yet firm touch. He took his time, undressing her slowly and firing her passions. She had been so lost in that touch that she had barely noticed that Taya and Fimm had already found their way into one of the suite's bedrooms. The sounds coming from that room had been more than enough to motivate Avaryss' new friend to get down to business himself.

He proved to be…a most magnificent lover that night. So much so that she had taken him twice more before dawn, pulling that large, muscular body to her, awakening him and his passion with soft whispers of need and desire.

As he had her, she could not help but imagine using him in her work. She imagined watching the light fade from his eyes, only to return, and with it the spirit of her beloved. It was not hard for her to imagine using the boy to bring back her beloved Fehl.

She had thought to use a pure blood body, but why limit herself?

As long as the body was strong in the Force what would Fehl care? He would live again, and she would be responsible.

He would surely be grateful for that. Urtel wouldn't, but by that point, he would be beyond caring.

Such thoughts only fired her passions again, she awoken him with a kiss and a gentle caress, it was all she could do not cry out Fehl's name as she finally found her release.

She doubted Urtel would understand, so it was good that she restrained herself.

Never the less, he was clearly enjoying their time together, so much the better.

Perhaps when they parted in the morning, she would give him a way to stay in contact with her, or ask for the means to seek him out again. Urtel was handsome, fierce, and strong in the Force.

Fehl would no doubt enjoy being him.

She had awoken before the dawn, slipping out of Urtel's strong arms, pausing just long enough to drink in his body in all its natural splendor. He laid on his belly, breathing contently, his bare dark skin still slick with passion sweat.

She smiled.

He, or perhaps someone like him, would be perfect. They would be the perfect new Fehl.

She welcomed that day, the day her love returned to her for good and all.

It would be a most glorious day indeed.

She heard noise from the adjoining bedroom; Taya emerged, running her fingers through her mussed hair, a sly contented smile on her face.

The two girls got dressed and slipped out of the suite together. They said nothing to each other until they were back on the street.

Both were supremely pleased with themselves.

"Mm," Taya sighed, "That was nice."

Avaryss had nodded

It certainly had been good.

The two boys had proved to be the perfect party favors.

Avaryss looked up at the cloudy sky of Dromund Kaas; it would be dawn so enough.

She yawned and stretched.

Taya giggled.

"I guess neither of us got much sleep last night."

"Only an hour or two," Avaryss replied, "My master will not expect me back until this evening."

She chuckled, feeling perfectly relaxed, and one with the galaxy.

"I suppose I should find someplace to crash for the next few hours. I doubt my master would let me rest if I returned to the Citadel or the estate right now."

Taya blushed slightly; Avaryss sensed only warmth from her through the Force.

"My master has a place not far from here," she offered, "We could spend the morning there. We could rest and…regain our strength."

Avaryss turned to her friend; you did not need the Force to know what it was the other girl was truly offering her.

"Are you inviting me back to your place, Tay?

The blonde girl's blush darkened.

"What if I was?"

Avaryss smirked.

"Didn't you have enough…_**fun**_ last night?"

Taya smiled warmly.

"Last night was nice, Fimm, even more so."

She took Avaryss by the hand, gently backing her into the shadows.

"But Fimm was not the only thing that I desire," Taya purred in a husky voice, "We are Sith, aren't we Avy? We should go after the things we want?"

"Of course, Tay," she had answered.

The blonde smiled.

"I was hoping you would say that."

When they were mostly out of sight, and all but lost in the shadows. The blonde moved in and, to Avaryss' surprise, took what it was she had wanted.

She leaned in and kissed her old friend and ally. It was a soft kiss, gentle and chaste. After the initial surprise, Avaryss found herself kissing her back. It was a chaste kiss, mostly, and soon she found herself letting Taya take the lead. Her friend pulling her into her arms, embracing her like she was the most precious thing in the galaxy.

They spent the next few hours in Taya's master's place, the two of them sleeping in each other's arms. They did nothing but sleep, but that was okay.

For Avaryss it had been a sweet end to a good evening. Taya was simply happy that she was here; perhaps she had feared that Avaryss would resist her advances, and for the moment she was willing to take things slow.

Tay had nothing to fear. Avaryss was more than willing to do what she could to keep her friend and ally happy.

She was too useful to simply let go, her wealth and connections too valuable.

No…Avaryss was prepared to do what was needed.

What she had not expected was the contentment she had found in that moment. It was rare that she felt safe enough to let go and simply let go, and lay in the arms of another. Only Fehl had ever given her such release, and for a time, she had feared she would never know such again.

It had been nice to know she was wrong.

Once it was over, the two girls had left without another word. Taya needed to report back to her master, Lord Goss, and Avaryss needed to return to the estate, bring the data card she had gotten from Terrog's slave to Darth Feer.

It had been a nice interlude, but now it was done.

It was once again time to get back to work.

IOI

She took her time trying to find a way into the Wreck's central tower. Despite the state of disrepair the Exchange left the place in, it was clear that they still prized both their privacy and security. She saw no less than ten state of the art war droids protecting the towers three entrances, that and at least a hundred bully boys in full combat suits and reinforced armor.

She kept to the shadows, of a darkened alley. She watched the place with slitted angry red eyes.

Avaryss frowned.

…_So much for keeping things quiet._

Her master may have desired subtlety, but she was starting to doubt that would be possible for much longer, not if she truly wanted to breach the tower.

Security was too tight here. Any attempt to gather information using a hand scanner was resisted, it seemed that the exchange had some kind of jamming system in the tower, not that she had expected anything less.

They may not have cared much for the people here, but the merchandise in the tower, that was something else.

Avaryss' eyes narrowed her hand drifted to the lightsaber clipped to her belt.

She found herself at that moment wishing that she possessed the talent of Force persuasion; that would have made this so much easier. She could have simply walked up to the tower, and entered with a wave of a hand and few choice words for one of the guards.

Sadly, that was not her way; her talents lay in another direction.

She sighed, and pulled her weapon, feeling the cold lethality of the hilt in her hand.

_**This **_direction.

She sighed.

_Very well…,_ she thought.

…_The hard way then._

She was about to leap into action when she heard the shifting of trash behind her, she spun ready to ignite her weapon, fearing that she had been noticed, perhaps activating some dormant security droid.

"Whoooa there," a human voice slurred.

"Easeeeee."

She barely stopped herself from beheading the man, not wishing to alert the guards of the tower with such a random murder.

He crawled out of the shadows; stood on wobbly legs, barely able to find his feet.

He is nothing, she thought, just some gutter rat,

She felt the fool for being startled.

"Who are you?" she snarled, "What are you doing in there?"

"Seeping," the man said, he stepped into the light, letting her get her first real good look at him.

She was not impressed.

He was human, or at least of a human-like species, older, perhaps in his mid to late forties, he was pale skinned with gray eyes, and dark hair that was greying at the temples. He was dressed like some down on his luck spacer, dirty and stained, wearing a black shirt and trousers, with a nerf hide jacket.

Avaryss cursed under her breath.

She had not even sensed the fool sleeping there. He did not feel like a threat but.

"I asked you a question man," she hissed, "Identify yourself."

"Jay," he murmured, trying to keep his feet, he stank like the floor of a Corellian brewery. She was amazed he was even able to remain upright.

"Jussst, Jay."

He blinked and squinted, trying to see through the intoxicant induced haze he was clearly lost in.

He stayed just far enough back that she could not kill him with a single swipe of her lightsaber.

"Wow," he said, noticing the lightsaber in her hand for the first time.

"Yoooou a red blade, lady?" he asked.

Avaryss sneered.

Red blade.

She had heard the term before, mostly used by people who were not smart enough to truly respect the power of the Sith. She was tempted to teach him that respect, but for the moment she was still trying to keep a low profile.

_End him quickly_, the darkness whispered, _strangle him to death with the Force, and move on._

She was just starting to raise her hand, to end his life with a single gesture, when he said something that surprised her.

He gave her a wide sloppy grin.

"Wanna go into the tooower, lady?" he asked, "Jay knooows how."

Avaryss paused.

"You do," she asked suspiciously.

He nodded exaggeratedly.

"Used to mooove freight here," he informed her, "Got fired for seeping during my shift; the boss' boooys caught meee."

He blinked and shook his head.

"Days ago," he said, "What day is it, again?"

Avaryss smiled.

"The day you showed me the way into the tower," she said, putting her weapon away. She could still kill him if it came to that.

The man was nothing to her, but he did have some value, if he could show her a way in, an undetected way in...

…So much the better.

"I have a hundred credits for you if you show me how to get in, unnoticed" she informed him.

The man giggled.

"'Undred, huh? 'Kay, you follow ole' Jay okay, Red Blade."

He cackled excitedly.

"Looks like thisss is my lucky daaay."

Avaryss smiled, imagining what it would look like when she took this fool's head. She wondered how many times it would bounce off the ground before finally coming to rest.

"Lucky for both of us," she purred.

"Most lucky indeed."

IOI

She followed the man's erratic path, despite being barely able to stand; he set a surprisingly quick pace.

Avaryss tried to stay close. This was her one lead; she did not wish to waste it.

He led her away from the tower, away and down several dark corridors off the main promenade. At first she suspected that he might be up to something, her hand once again drifting to the blade at her side.

She could hear the old drunk cackling to himself, commenting on how lucky it was that she had found him.

She remained silent, focused, reaching out for the Force, and making sure that he was not leading her into a trap.

So far, so good, she thought.

She felt nothing from the drunken fool.

He was barely worth her notice.

He led her down into a large chamber below the promenade; she noticed several large fans spinning overhead, a few large ones along the back wall, pulling air through a large tunnel on the other side.

Avaryss grinned.

The man gestured her forward, he stood before one of the fans that looked to be broken, grinning proudly.

"Use to sneak out here all the time," he informed her, "Good place for a nap down here, nooo one knows about it, never bothered to fix the fan."

Avaryss nodded.

So the lazy fool would come down her to escape his shift in the tower?

"This duct leads inside then?" she asked.

Jay nodded again.

"It'll get yooou inside; no one will be the wiser."

"Good," Avaryss said reaching for her belt.

Jay grinned excitedly; she could almost see the greed flickering in his eyes.

How do I reward you, she wondered, with credit or with my lightsaber?

It was an interesting dilemma.

She would be done and gone from here before the man's credits ran out. He would not have time to sell her to anyone else. Of course, her lightsaber would guarantee his silence permanently.

She was still debating the pros and cons of both when the entire chamber shook, distantly, down the air duct, she heard a loud boom.

Avaryss frowned.

That…that sounded like an **explosion?!**

What in the Emperor's name?

"Here," she said dropping a hundred credits on the ground, she did not even wait to see if the fool picked them up; she dashed forward, her weapon in hand, disappearing down the broken ventilation duct.

Distantly, she thought she heard the man speak.

"Looks like you are not the only one interested in the tower, red blade."

She did not bother to respond, she was already too far away, rushing forward.

She had come here for information, and from the sound of it, someone had beat her to it.

Her red eyes flashed with anger.

She would be damned before she let a prize slip through her fingers.

It would not happen.

IOI

The duct was a straight shot into the tower; she had no need for a map and would not have used it if she had.

She was following the Force now, sensing the mayhem up ahead. She emerged into the tower to the wailing of alarms, and harsh voices shouting back and forth over a loud speaker.

Whatever was going on was not over yet, she realized.

Good.

That meant that she still had time to salvage this.

She used her lightsaber to cut through the grate that was sealing off the air duct; she leapt down from it, and found herself in a world of chaos.

She encountered no one as she made her way up, she saw neither guards nor droids until she was two or three levels above the main entrance.

It was then that she finally encountered the first signs of what was happening.

What she saw made little sense.

Two war droids lay broken beside one of tower's security doors, not destroyed by any weapon, but crushed as if by some strong grip. The doors that should have been able to keep out a full attack squad lay bent and broken like some giant had struck it with his fist.

Avaryss rushed forward reaching out with the Force, but at the same time keeping her lightsaber off, not wishing to draw attention at least not yet.

Guards and workers rushed past her, not even noticing her presence, overhead alarms continued to wail, commands came over loud speaker, telling the guards to head to this level or that.

Avaryss did not bother listening, she knew where the trouble was coming from; she could sense it through the Force.

She now was following it, like a beacon.

What she felt, well, she could not describe it.

She could feel the violence up ahead. It rippled down and outward from the Force, what she did not sense, was the death and destruction that she should have been feeling. She passed several fallen guards on the way up, most of them still drew breath, but their weapons were destroyed, and they were injured, not fatally perhaps, but they were out of the fight, and would likely need medical attention.

She passed two more destroyed battle droids. These showed signs of…damage, their limbs had been removed, the cuts were clean and straight through, the metal still hot from the strike.

Lightsaber damage, she recognized.

Avaryss growled.

It seems that Darth Terrog had sent an apprentice after all, was this the trap her master thought awaited her?

If this was a trap for her master or her, why had the apprentice not waited, why strike early?

She could not say

She reached out again with the Force trying to sense the dark side, to find her fellow Sith. She felt nothing, only a sense of grim determination.

She was left puzzled.

A fellow Sith should have been reveling in the destruction. Why was she feeling nothing?

Once again, she could not say.

She turned another corner, and suddenly, she heard a sound, a familiar hum that made her heart quicken.

The sweet sound of a lightsaber, followed by the popping sound as the blade found its mark.

She slowed, adopted a hunter's tread, she would not be surprised by whatever it was that Terrog had decided to put in her way. She would be…

She stopped cold.

The sound of battle ceased, the only sounds was the blaring of alarms, and the hum of her enemy's lightsaber.

Avaryss blinked.

What in the Emperor's name?

Her enemy was crouched over a broken war droid, its dark skin flushed with both battle and excitement; she could sense the Force singing inside the fighter, but it was not the familiar tune of the darkside.

The young Sith's eyes narrowed.

The one responsible for all, the one that was turning the Wreck into wreckage, was a girl.

It was a small alien girl.

She was young, perhaps Avaryss' age, maybe a year or two younger, she had a long solemn face, and large dark brown eyes flecked with gold. Had she been standing she likely would have been a head shorter than Avaryss her long brown hair pulled into pony tail, with a single small braid dangling down the right side of her head.

The girl was clearly not human, not fully human anyway, Her ears were long and pointed, and what the young Sith had mistaken for dark skin was actually a very short velvet-like fur. Avaryss could see that she wore no boots; her feet were large and wrapped in cloth. As she kneeled over, large toes helped the girl balance on her powerful legs. Avaryss would not be surprised if this one was an astonishing jumper, even without the Force. The hands that gripped the lightsaber were equally thick and large, each digit ending with a thick yellow claw.

The lightsaber the creature wielded was not fiery red, but emerald green, it blazed brightly, hurting Avaryss' damaged eyes. She wore a gray combat suit with a long tan colored robe over it.

The creature glared at her; if looks could kill she would be ash at that moment.

Avaryss lit her blade and raised it as she dropped into a fighting stance.

"Jedi," she hissed, though the creature felt like no Jedi she had encountered before.

She heard a low growl emerge from the beast girl, a low dangerous sound from back in her throat.

She could sense the light within her, but it seemed muted, held back by a will like iron, that and the feral determination of a predator.

Because that is what this creature was a pure predator.

It knew what Avaryss was, even without her lightsaber it would recognized her.

"Sith," the Jedi growled, "I should have known."

Her features started to shift, her nose seemed to extend, her jaw too, long fangs flashed white in her muzzle, her features becoming more beast like by the second.

Avaryss blinked.

_What kind of creature was this?_ She wondered, _some sort of changeling?_

She had never heard of any kind of alien like this?

"Where is your master, Sith," the monster growled, "Where is Darth Terrog?"

Avaryss blinked.

"Terrog is not here," she said, "But I'm sure I can…"

"_**ARRROOOOOOOOOH!"**_

The girl threw back her head and howled. It was a terrible sound, loud and keening, had Avaryss not been so deep in the dark side at that moment, and wearing her sonic dampeners, she might have fled in terror.

The beast girl leapt the distance between them, in two steps she had closed the distance between them, her eyes and teeth flashing, hungry for Sith blood.

Their blades clashed in a flash of light, and a shower of sparks. Avaryss fell back as the Animal-Jedi rained down blows upon her.

The attack was vicious, quick too, but once again she did not feel the dark side, and she should have, considering how aggressive this girl was being.

There was no emotion in what the creature was doing; only a sense of grim determination, she was in the beast's way, and its only desire was to see her removed.

The Jedi whirled, attacking fiercely, Avaryss only just blocked one of its blows, only to nearly be ripped open by a swipe of a clawed hand.

This was no mere Jedi, she thought, it was a storm of teeth, claws, and a lightsaber!

Avaryss continued to fall back.

What had Terrog sent her into?

Why did this thing want him dead?

She had no time to answer. The dance of death continued.

It was all she could do to keep up with the steps.

Someone will pay for this, she thought; I will make sure of it.

She growled and tried to go on the attack. The beast-girl parried her strikes with considerable skill.

Avaryss blinked, this was not going to be easy.

She fought on.

Someone will answer for this, she thought….

…If I survive.


	19. Jedi

**Chapter 19: Jedi**

_She is stronger than me._

It was not an easy revelation to swallow, but there it was.

As Avaryss retreated before the onslaught that was this…this…whatever it was. She was forced to recognize that one simple truth.

The beast girl's speed was amazing, add the Force into that and it was almost unbeatable, it was all she could do to stay one step ahead of her opponent, one swing of the sword away from losing her own head.

Soresu saved her, at least for the moment, the other girl, despite her size, easily used the powerful strikes of Djem-So, but at the same time combined that with the speed and agility of the Ataru. Normally the two styles did not function well together, but this…Jedi-thing made it look almost flawless.

Avaryss was both impressed and shocked, and at same time barely managing to keep up.

She was quite literally fighting for her life!

Their blades locked. Avaryss glared into the Jedi's eyes. She tried to break the stalemate with a Sith spell, but her opponent sensed what she was doing. Unable to use her blade, the Jedi-thing punched her in the eye, breaking her concentration and sent her staggering back. The young Sith managed to recover before her enemy could take advantage, but once again she found herself back on the defensive.

_Animal,_ Avaryss thought, _that __**hurt!**_

Of course it could have been worse, she could have used her claws, if she had, that shot likely would have taken an eye.

A small blessing she supposed, probably the only good thing that had happened since this battle had begun. Plus, her eye hurt, and that served to enrage her, giving Avaryss access to greater power.

It would be enough; she would make sure of that.

Exchange thugs twice tried to intervene, and both times they were stopped, the beast girl pummeled the first group with a storm of telekinetically thrown debris, forcing them to run; while the second were driven off by Avaryss' Force lightning, that, and a vicious sweep of her lightsaber.

_I will not be interrupted_, Avaryss thought, _I don't know what this __**thing**__ is, but she will die spitted upon my blade._

The dark side is _**stronger**_. Today I prove that by slaying this…creature, it doesn't matter how strong the Force was within it.

It would fall.

The dark side WAS _**stronger!**_

Avaryss pressed her attack, and again her opponent rose to the occasion. She easily turned back Avaryss' strikes and met her aggression with powerful blows of her own, and again the young Sith was forced to give ground.

So strong, she thought.

This one is _**very**_ strong.

_You don't have time for this_, her conscience chided, _you are on a mission, not here to spar with some Jedi filth, kill her and move on._

For all you know the scum lord you need to speak with is getting away.

She doubled her effort. She slashed at a light panel causing it to shoot off both flames and sparks; the move surprised her opponent and caused her to lose a step, at least for a moment.

Avaryss struck back and…

A heavy blaster bolt blew the two of them apart.

Avaryss rolled and came up to her feet, her ears ringing despite her sonic dampeners.

She spotted the heavy repeating blaster cannon that three exchange thugs had set up; it continued to spit fire at her opponent. The beast girl fell back under the onslaught.

Now is my chance, she thought.

I can slip away and…

The beast girl threw her lightsaber, it spun end over end, a green saw blade directed both by the girl's will and the power of the Force.

It sliced not only through the canon's tripod, but the three gunners as well. All fire ceased as the bodies fell, the cannon tumbled from its tripod and fell with a long clang.

The Jedi's lightsaber returned to her grip. It had only taken her a matter of seconds to slay the gun crew and silence their fire.

Avaryss blinked.

So, the Jedi was not afraid to get her paws dirty after all, and as before, she had not felt a single tingle from the darkside within this…creature. The kill had been done for self-defense alone.

It was all the more reason that this…abomination needed to be destroyed.

Once again the two girls faced off, their weapons in hand. The Jedi-thing dropped into an Ataru fighting stance.

"Now," she growled, "Where were we?"

Avaryss sneered.

_Jedi dog! She would die for her arrogance!_

Avaryss advanced ready to unleash the full power of Makashi and the dark side on her foe.

She did not get the chance.

She brought her blade up and around and…

A wave of Force energy washed over her, it went through her Force-shield like it wasn't even there!

In that moment, she found herself paralyzed, caught in a stasis field. Even her mouth was frozen, she could not even cry out in rage!

She imagined the creature leaping towards her, its lightsaber overhead, she had been wounded by a lightsaber during her final trial on Korriban, she remembered the icy cold she felt when the blade cut her shoulders, but this would be no minor cut. The Jedi would not hesitate.

She knew it.

She was about to lose her head.

All her plans and dreams would end!

_No_, she thought.

_**NO!**_

**I CANNOT DIE THIS WAY!**

**NOT LIKE THIS!**

**NOT…HELPLESS!**

**MASTER!**

**DADDY!**

_**HELP ME!**_

If she could have moved, she likely would have wailed in horror.

Yet, the blade did not fall.

She waited for the Jedi girl to charge her, to end her life with a sweep of her lightsaber.

But…nothing.

It did not come, the beast girl was also frozen, a look of surprise on her face, its beast-like form changing back to a more human looking one.

_What are you_, Avaryss wanted to shout.

She had never seen anything like this Jedi filth.

She became aware of another presence, if the creature that she had been battling had been burning with a steady light; this one was as bright as a star. It was so bright that she dared not look at it, not through the Force.

She heard footsteps behind her, not the careful tread of a hunter, but the deliberate steps of someone who had no problem being noticed, and likely, expected to be.

The beast girl blinked, no longer did she look like a wild animal; once again she was simply a dark skinned girl with large brown eyes.

"Master?" she murmured.

Avaryss heard a heavy sigh behind her.

"Hello, child," a male's voice replied, "I do hope that the two of you are quite done."

The voice was familiar, she realized, though the strength of it was not, the last time she had heard this particular voice it had been slurring, a giggling mess.

Panic was replaced by a cold simmering anger, that and a desire to inflict horrible bodily harm on the speaker.

The man the girl referred to as master stepped before her. Had Avaryss had the use of her mouth, she would have snarled in fury.

It was him.

It was the man who called himself Jay, the drunk from outside, the one who had showed her the way in here. Though he still stank of cheap ale, he stood tall and proud. The being she had thought beneath her notice now radiated both power and a commanding presence, a presence that even her own master would have been made wary by.

He gave her a wry smile.

"Hello again, red blade," he said dryly, "This is a bit….awkward, isn't it?"

She glared daggers at him.

Damn you, she thought.

Damn you to the darkest hell!

He released his Force grip on the beast-girl, but not before pulling her lightsaber from her grip. He did the same to Avaryss, reaching out with the Force and plucking her weapon from her hand.

He clipped both weapons to his belt.

_So he has claimed his trophy_, she thought, _now he would no doubt claim her life._

_**Coward,**_ she wanted to shout, _give me back my weapon and face me!_

The Jedi Master seemed to have no interest in doing that.

He turned to her opponent, his expression, a bit weary.

"Vey is quite worried about you, Padawan," he said, "so much so that she thought it prudent to contact me."

He frowned slightly.

"I'm sure you know what kind of a risk that is?"

The girl gave him a chagrinned look, seeming more and more a young girl than a fierce warrior.

How could this creature have been testing me so? Avaryss thought.

She barely seems like anything now.

Looks, of course, could be deceiving, the girl was quite strong, and Avaryss had nearly paid the ultimate price for their battle.

The two Jedi seemed to have forgotten she was there, so little respect did they have for her. She was not even an afterthought.

_Just get on with it_, she wanted to shout_, I've __**failed**__, failed, death is no less than I deserve._

_You must live;_ a tiny voice in the back of her head seemed to say.

_You still have value._

_Your bloodline must not end with you._

The voice sounded like Master Adaz, but in truth it was likely nothing, her desire to fight on taking form, trying to rally her from her stupor.

Once again she tried to get free, to call upon the power of the dark side to free herself.

She found no success; the Jedi's power was too strong.

He is a Jedi Master, she thought to herself.

What did you expect?

"I had to come, master," the beast girl said.

The elder Jedi sighed and shook his head.

"I thought you had grown beyond this, Shyra. I understand your reasons for seeking out Darth Terrog, but this…"

"Terrog is **not** the reason that I came," the girl insisted, "I found it master, the transport that Master Vey and I were seeking."

"Then you should have waited," the master said, "Contacted Vey or another of the masters. You should not have gone in alone."

"There was no time, if I had waited, the transport would have been in Sith space before we could have done anything about it."

The Padawan paused, she growled, glaring at Avaryss.

"This one is proof that I was right. Terrog must have sent her to protect his shipment."

Avaryss felt her temper starting to rise.

_A shipment_, she thought.

_**That **__is what this was __**all **__about?_

When the battle first began, she had thought this Jedi girl like the knight she had faced back on Taris. She assumed the girl was here to protect the plan that she and her master were unravelling back on Dromund Kaas.

It seemed that that was not the point. It seems that Terrog had baited a trap as they had thought, but not for the reason that they had expected.

It was all about some bloody shipment, Avaryss realized, Terrog must have known that these Jedi were after it, and decided not to soil his hands. He had used her, and her master, used them to deal with a Jedi annoyance.

Had Avaryss killed the girl, then whatever it was Terrog wanted protecting would be safe. If she lost, then Darth Feer would lose his apprentice, and Terrog would gain an advantage over his rival. The story that the cyborg had spun for her about the bacteria being stolen from here was probably not a lie, but was it was also not relevant, not in the face of removing a Jedi enemy.

Avaryss would have cursed if she could.

She hated the thought of being used.

The Jedi master stood before her, his expression curious.

How about it, Sith," he asked, "Do you serve Darth Terrog?"

She felt the stasis field around her weaken; she could at least move her mouth again.

_Tell them nothing,_ the darkness within whispered.

_Saying nothing would likely serve best, but at same time, it also likely meant that would only die in silence._

Where was the **fun** in that?

She smiled cruelly.

"Terrog is beneath our notice," she snarled, "It is to the Emperor and my master that I bow to. It is the Emperor's will that brought me here, not some mere Darth."

She laughed slightly.

"Count yourself lucky, you could have ended up facing the Emperor's Wrath. You would find him not as forgiving as I am."

It was a lie, of course, but one with enough truth wrapped around it to be believable. Avaryss did consider herself a servant of the Emperor, all Sith were after all. It was for the good of the Empire that she was doing this; The Jedi should sense no deception in her words, because they were true, from a certain point of view.

She was curious to see if the Jedi would pick up on the subtlety of that.

He crossed his arms over his chest, and gave her a cool evaluating the look, the Padawan kept her distance, still growling at her, but also more cautious than she had been during their duel.

The Jedi Master frowned.

"So you serve the Emperor," he said, "Very well then, what is it that the Emperor found so important to send one of his agents here?"

She only just resisted the urge to laugh.

_**Yes,**_ she thought.

_**Fooled you Jedi.**_

Deception was a weapon of the dark side, every Sith knew that, but some lacked the subtlety to use it to the fullest.

One of her first lessons when she had arrived on Dromund Kaas was about the art of deception. Lies were valuable, Lord Feer had admitted, but sometimes, the truth could be far more fun. If you could twist the truth to serve your needs, that was a true sign of Sith mastery.

It was just as her master had said.

_A silver tongue can often be as valuable and a crimson blade, apprentice._

It was that skill that she turned to now.

The Jedi could not know how deeply this business with the espionage droids had penetrated the Empire. The Empire could not afford to show weakness, not to one of its most powerful enemies.

And so she spun a story for him, one that was just true enough that it might be believed in total.

She told a tale of their great Emperor, who, in his infinite wisdom, had discovered this plot to bring down the Empire, a plot using droids with hidden programming, and that after a bit of investigating, that plot had led her here. She told of his desire to preserve the treaty, and the order and security that it brought with it, but at the same time she warned them of his displeasure, and his concern that other, less reliable lords, might seek to take advantage of this, use it as a rallying cry to declare war.

"Our master has no desire for war at this time," she said as she finished her tale, "We hold to the treaty that we signed. My presence here was merely to gain evidence against the conspirators of this cowardly attack, to deal with this matter quietly, before the rest of the Empire is forced to intervene."

When she had finished the two Jedi looked at each other. They were skeptical, she could tell, but at the same time, curious. Everything she had said was not an out and out lie.

There was enough truth in the story to make it believable.

"So," the Jedi Master said when she was done, "You believe that Boss Tynnes is a part of this plot?"

"More than likely a pawn," she said, "But even pawns can yield up useful information."

He nodded.

He turned to the Padawan.

The girl growled.

"I don't believe her," she spat, "I don't like the smell of her, and through the Force she is…is…"

The girl shook her head.

"She is animal."

Avaryss chuckled.

"Look who is talking," she said dryly.

She had felt the girl's anger starting to rise, only to feel it disperse just as quickly.

Avaryss was impressed.

Whoever had trained this one, they had taught her well.

"I understand your concerns, Shyra," the master said, "But at the same time, if there is even a chance this Sith is telling the truth, we must investigate. I will not let my apathy be the cause of another war."

He turned back to Avaryss.

"Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Jas Dar Bynn, master in the Jedi Order. The girl is Shyra Viel, apprentice to my old master."

"I am Avaryss," the young Sith said, "I would say that it is a pleasure to meet you, but…"

The Jedi chuckled.

"No need," he said, "I understand completely."

I gave her an evaluating look, perhaps coming to a decision.

Finally, he nodded.

I will make a deal with you, Sith. The Padawan is not wrong about stopping this transport of Terrog's from reaching Sith space. We will help you reach Boss Tynnes, as sign of good faith, and as proof that we are upholding the Republic's end of the treaty, and in exchange, you will allow us to take Terrog's cargo with us."

Avaryss shrugged, or would have if she was not caught in a stasis field.

"It is finding who is behind this threat to the Empire that concerns me, Jedi. Terrog is nothing to me, you have a deal."

The Jedi nodded, and suddenly she found herself free again. She stumbled and took a deep breath, a sigh of relief.

_Free_, she thought.

Now…to get back to business.

The Jedi returned her weapon, she felt a fleeting desire to turn it around and plunge its blade into his chest, but resisted that urge.

Three blades are better than one, she thought, and besides, this would be a most interesting opportunity.

Her experience with the Jedi was limited it would be interesting to see these two in action, to be able to observe both their strengths and weaknesses.

Today, these two were stronger than her, but that did not mean it would remain that way forever.

One day, these two would pay for letting her go, she would be strong enough to destroy them both, but for now, they had their uses.

"Thank you," she said clipping her lightsaber back on her belt.

"Let us be off then, we should not keep this Exchange Boss waiting."


	20. The Lesson

**Chapter 20: The Lesson**

"Thirsty, my lady?"

Avaryss looked up, her crimson eyes narrowing with hate.

Bael Feer sat before her, cross legged, with a savage grin on his face. She had to admit, the little rodent did not look like such a little rodent anymore, as she had been bouncing around the galaxy, the boy had had his growth spurt. He stood almost as tall as his father now, his shoulders starting to fill out, revealing the physical strength he would one day possess.

Darth Feer would never have been considered handsome, his son, however, though he did inherit many of his father's features, would be both taller, and more physically appealing that the dark lord himself. What he had inherited from his mother she supposed.

Of course, growing up did not change what was inside Bael, the same twisted desires remained. Once again Avaryss found herself feeling sorry for the first girl that the boy brought home. If he learned to be charming, some poor female Sith or merchant's daughter might come to realize just how cruel and twisted Bael Feer was.

The future did not look bright for House Feer if Bael inherited his father's throne.

He was almost a young man now, but that did nothing to change his demeanor, he remained cruel and sadistic, enjoying the suffering of others above all else. A sadistic streak was not unheard of in a Sith, Emperor knew she had one, but she tempered hers forethought, asking herself: what was good for her quest for greater power. Her master's son did _**not**_ do that.

He simply enjoyed watching others in pain, and the more fool he was for it.

He was proving that now.

In his hand he held a large glass of iced water, just looking at it made her dry throat seem even drier, her cracked lips pursed, and a scream tried to escape her lips

NO! No, she wouldn't do that! She would not show weakness, not now, not ever before her master's son.

She lowered her head again, and continued to focus on the dark side, continued to endure this latest punishment.

It was the only thing she could do.

For three days she had been here, _three days_ since returning from her mission. She had gotten what they had needed from the Exchange Boss on _The Wreck_, yet her master remained unhappy. He did not consider the mission a success. _The Wreck_ still functioned, and Boss Tynnes remained alive, and most important of all...

The two Jedi still drew breath.

Her master was _**NOT **_pleased.

It had not been her fault, not entirely; the two Jedi that she had tried to ensnare in their plans had limited her options. Master Jas only agreed to help if she restricted any killing that she do to be only in self-defense. The beast-girl Shyra only helped because her master had told her to. Together they had gotten the information that she needed, and Avaryss had managed to return home with it, return home and report.

It was then that her penance had begun.

What was she supposed to do? Both Jedi were stronger than she. Had she attacked them she would have ended up dead, only by manipulation, and sowing the seeds of discord between them and their order had she escaped. Had that not been enough?

_It __**should**__ have been enough_, Avaryss thought, _she had gotten the information she had needed, and even managed to walk away from the two Jedi unscathed, they had let her go, despite what damage she might do to their order in the future. They had let her go, and still her master desired to see her punished._

It was not right!

It was not fair!

He had commanded that she remain kneeling out in the courtyard until he told her that she could rise. He commanded that she be stripped of her weapon and all clothes but her briefs and light under top, and so, here she had remained for the last three days. She had been exposed to the elements, the heat of the day, and the stinging insects at night, with no rest, no food, or water, with only a single chance to relieve herself once a day.

It had not been the most pleasant of experiences.

Her neck, shoulders, and lower back were sunburnt, her legs cramping by being in a kneeling position for so long. Her arms and legs itched horribly from where she had been bitten by the various insects that lived on Dromund Kaas. She dared not try to leave lest she further provoke her master's anger, and to make sure that she did not he had left two heavy war droids to guard her.

Alone, the droids would not have been a problem for her, but if she resisted, her master would punish her further. She had been left to reflect on the mission, to figure out why she was being and punished.

Twice now he had come down and listened to her report, listened and rejected her reason for why she was being punished.

"You do not yet understand apprentice," he had told her, a cold sneer on his lips, "You will remain here until you do."

He had walked away, leaving her to endure, to try to endure.

She was left with the problem, left to seek her answer alone.

Three days, she thought miserably, she wondered if there would be a fourth.

Bael had visited her often during her punishment, often in the rain, when the water soaked her through to the bone, and her hair stuck like paint to her body. A slave had stood over him with an umbrella, shielding his good robes from the rain as he stared down on her with both arrogance and lust in his eyes. He had often come to leer at her, to leer and tempt her with water or food. He clearly could sense her discomfort, and took a sick pleasure from it.

He was not alone. She had felt the eyes and attention of several of the guards as well. She was not unattractive after all, and they were young men, who no doubt had seen their master's apprentice wandering the halls of the estate.

She felt their desires through the Force, their fantasies. They may not have been twisted as Bael's, but…

I am to be a Lord of the Sith, she thought, they are unworthy of looking at me and having such thoughts.

She debated what would be a fitting punishment for them, after she had found her way back into her master's good graces.

"Are you sure that you do not want a sip, my lady," Bael asked lightly shaking the glass, making the ice cubes tinkle as sweet as any bell.

"It would cost you so little you know," he added, "Just a single kiss."

Avaryss dug her nails into the dirt.

She would rather kiss a Hutt.

There was only two ways out of this, one, she had to figure out her master's lesson. That solution had, so far, proven to be surprisingly difficult. At first she thought she was being punished for not destroying the Wreck and slaying Tynnes, but that had not been it. Her second response had been that she was being punished because she had dared work with the Jedi, technically it could be considered treason to having done so, but that was not the reason that she was being punished either, her master said she was getting closer, but was not there, not yet.

If she could not find the answer her master sought, then there was only one other way out of this. One way that she hated to admit, she had been contemplating more and more as the sun rose, and the third day of her penance grew hotter.

The only other way to escape this was to beg her master's forgiveness. If she fell to the ground and begged for mercy, he would grant it, this time, and this time only.

Avaryss was unwilling to do that.

Those who ask for mercy, are unworthy of it, that was one of many of the tenants of the Sith, not as important as the Sith code itself, but still one of the rules that a member of the order lived by.

If she begged, she would lose every bit of prestige she had earned from her master; she would have to start over from scratch. She would likely be taken off mission, and be left to endure the torments of her master's basic training again.

No, begging for mercy was out of the question. She had considered what had been said during their previous two conversations, tried to puzzle out what she had said wrong. She thought she had come to the right conclusion, it felt right, but she would not know until her master came to speak with her again.

The answer must be right this time, she realized the Force had sustained her these last three days, but she feared that she had reached her limits, the dark side was limitless; she was not.

I have to be right this time, she thought.

I must be.

When her master did finally come, it was with both War master Feore and Lady Synestra at his side. Avaryss sensed concern from the old pure blood, and noting but disdain from the lady of the house.

She had felt the lady's presence a few times during her shaming, and had sensed her pleasure at seeing her husband's apprentice brought so low.

I must show no weakness, she thought, the witch will get no more amusement from my suffering.

She looked up upon her master; he looked well rested with a merry smile on his face.

"My lord," she said bowing her head.

"You are here, apprentice, good," he said dryly, "I had feared that I might have to send one of the servants to fetch you."

Bael giggled at his father's joke, while Synestra merely smiled.

Avaryss said nothing, after days and nights out here it was all she could do to keep her composure.

"Come away Bael," Synestra said, "Your father needs to speak with the girl, she does not need you distracting her."

Avaryss almost growled.

If her ladyship thought her son a distraction for Avaryss, she was gravely mistaken.

The only way that Bael would distract her was if he was in agony, if she was slowly peeling the flesh from his bones!

That would be a most enjoyable distraction to be sure.

Her master grinned down at her; she wondered if he could sense what she was feeling? If he understood her fantasies?

If he did, he did not let on, not with his wife and son around anyway.

"I would hear your report, my child," Lord Feer said, "Both your take on what happened on _the Wreck_, and why you were ordered to remain out here these last few days."

He chuckled.

"I do hope that you have learned your lesson?"

"I…I am ready, my lord," she said, struggling to keep calm, to hold onto her composure, to keep the fear of being left out here for another day out of her voice.

"Then proceed," he ordered.

"What happened on the Wreck?"

She took a deep breath and nodded.

She began her report again.

IOI

"I breach the Wreck easily enough, and made my way to the central tower, the Exchange's base of operations. While seeking a way in, I encountered what I thought to be a common drunkard, a former worker from the tower, he showed me a way in."

She shook her head.

"I did not know that he was secretly a Jedi Master."

Synestra glared.

"Are your senses so dull that you could not tell girl?" she demanded.

Avaryss' eyes narrowed.

This was the first time that Synestra had heard this story; she had not been there for the previous attempts.

It was all Avaryss could do to keep from leaping up and ripping out her eyeballs.

"The Jedi masked his presence well," she admitted, "Besides; he did not look or carry himself like a Jedi. He seemed like any other down on his luck spacer that I've encountered."

"That fits with what we know about this Jas Dar Bynn, my lord," Warmaster Feore said, speaking up in her defense perhaps, "Our spies conclude that he is unlike other Jedi, choosing to avoid the rest of the order, wandering the fringes of Republic and Imperial space."

"I see," Lord Feer said, clearly he had had the Warmaster research the two Jedi since Avaryss' return. The fact that he did so gave her hope.

She wondered what he found out about Shyra Viel.

"What was your take on this Jedi Master, apprentice? Did you learn anything during your time together?"

"I did, master," she admitted, "One cannot truly destroy an enemy if they remain unknown. Jas Dar Bynn is from a storied lineage. If he is to be believed many members of the Bynn family have served as Jedi, he is one of the latest and a bit of a disappointment if what he told me is to be believed."

"And what did he tell you?"

"That he feels that the Jedi Order is too caught up in Republic politics to be effective. He had no problem believing my story about Republic Intelligence and members of the Jedi Order conspiring against us."

She shook her head.

"He said that the Jedi would serve far better by aiding the people of the Republic than the Senate. He claimed loyalty to the light and the people first and foremost, even before the Senate and the Jedi Council."

"He is said to be a maverick, my lord," Feore confirmed, "Our sources close to the senate say that the Jedi Order views this Jas Dar Bynn as a gray Jedi, that he does not follow the code of the Jedi as well as he should."

Avaryss frowned.

The Warmaster was wrong, she thought, He had not seen what she had seen, felt what she had felt. Jas Dar Bynn blazed with the light. He may have been an idealist, and pragmatic, but his choice to serve the rabble over the Senate had given him more than the rest of the Jedi realized.

He was dangerous, unpredictable.

When the war began anew, Jas Dar Bynn would need to be among the first to die.

The Sith could not allow other Jedi to embrace his outlook. It would make them far too dangerous.

Yes, Jas Dar Bynn would need to die.

"So you breached the tower, with the Jedi's help," her master said, "What happened next."

Her eyes flickered with anger.

"I encountered another Jedi inside. A Padawan learner had invaded the tower, looking for either Darth Terrog, or a shipment that he had requested. We battled this Padawan and me. I would have defeated her had the master not intervened."

"A Padawan did all this?" Synestra asked.

"This one is not like the others," Avaryss said.

"Tell me about this Padawan," Feer ordered her, leave nothing out.

Avaryss growled under her breath, the beast girl's face danced before hers. Black hatred roiled in her heart.

"Her name was Shyra Viel. She was an apprentice to Jas Dar Bynn's former master. The girl had gone off on her own, and the master was seeking her through the aid of her fellows. Master Jas happened to be the one to find her."

"For what reason did this Padawan seek out Lord Terrog, what was he to her?"

Avaryss sighed.

Her master already knew the answer to this, but he seemed determined to make her relive what had happened again and again.

It is part of your training, part of the lesson, the dark voice within said, do not question.

She nodded.

She would not.

"I managed to get the story out of the master on the way out of the Wreck," she admitted, "Apparently; Shyra Viel was a creation of Darth Terrog's. Masters Bynn and Vey saved the girl from a Sith research vessel during the war. They realized what she was, and brought her back to the Republic. They saw her too valuable to simply toss away."

"What is she?" her master asked, "An alien?"

"An abomination," Avaryss replied, "A freak that Terrog created, probably by combining the genetic material of multiple species. I don't even think the Jedi truly know what she is. It did work though; she is quite strong in the Force."

Avaryss shook her head.

"It also seems that she can use the Force to bring out her more beastly nature, her features shifted while we were fighting, becoming more and more animalistic."

"Really," Bael said grinning, "I would love to get a look at this thing!"

Avaryss smiled evilly.

"Should we meet again, I will bring you back her pelt," she said, "It might make a pretty coat for Lady Synestra."

Lord Feer chuckled.

"You **hate** her, don't you?"

Avaryss nodded.

"She embarrassed me, my lord. She was not only stronger than I, but she did this."

She lifted up her face, showing an ugly looking black eye. She had not been able to treat it, and so it looked as horrible as it had when she had first gotten back to Dromund Kaas.

"She will answer for that." Avaryss promised.

Lady Synestra laughed.

"It is a lovely shade of purple," she said, "It is truly your color, young Avaryss.

Bael giggled like the sadistic idiot he was.

Avaryss again had to resist the urge to reach out with the Force and choke him.

"What happened next, apprentice," Feer said drawing her back to the business at hand.

She nodded.

Yes, it was better to continue.

"Master Bynn was curious about what I had told him, about the plot against the Empire, he was eager to learn more, and to help the Padawan Shyra acquire what she had come for. We fought together; though fighting is not what I would call it. The beast girl had already sent the bulk of the Exchange forces scampering, those that remained were either suicidal loyal or foolish, maybe both.

"Did these Jedi prove to be valuable allies?" her master asked, "Were their skills lacking in anyway?"

"They were…impressive, my master," she hated to admit, "Especially Master Bynn."

Avaryss shook her head.

That was a gross understatement, she realized.

Jas Dar Bynn was a force of nature, pun intended.

The lightsaber her carried was a single hilt weapon with a violet colored beam. The lightsaber seemed out of place on one so shabbily dressed, but one only had to see the master fight to know that robes did not make the Jedi, the Force and his will made him a Jedi, and his powers were considerable.

She got the feeling she was only getting a glimpse of his true potential that he was holding much in reserve. It was for that reason that she had not fled quickly from him, she wanted to know more. She had never gotten the chance to actually speak with a Jedi before, especially one so powerful.

She had wanted to know, needed to know.

He had not disappointed her.

IOI

After the mission had been completed, when she had escaped the Wreck with him and Shyra Viel, she had asked him about it. Why he did not wear the robes of his order, or was he simply in disguise.

He confessed that he owned a robe, but that he chose not to wear it when away from the order. When she had asked him why, he had laughed.

"Does a set of black robes, make you a Sith?" he had asked.

"Of course not, but…"

"But they are symbolic aren't they?" he had said.

She nodded.

A hint of a smile played over the Jedi's face.

"I've travelled from one end of this galaxy to next," he admitted, "An in that time I've seen much of how the people see the Jedi Order. Most people in need would not seek out a Jedi's aid even if they were simply walking down the street. They would see us as above their problems, or that we are the Fist of the Senate and that we are good for nothing else."

The older man shook his head.

"If people see you as one of them before they see you as a Jedi they are more open to accept your help, they are willing to tell you their problems, to give you the chance to aid them."

Avaryss sneered.

"So you serve the rabble," she spat.

"I serve the people of the galaxy. What is the Republic if not its people? If the people stand with you then you will never be defeated."

"A single person is nothing," she said, "They are no match for the Force."

"True," he admitted, "But people, many of them, united in a common goal, for the betterment of all could overpower any one Force user, Jedi or Sith."

She considered that,

He shrugged.

"If we are not cautious, one day the people will get tired of our constant warring. Neither the Jedi nor the Sith would survive if that happened. Both of the orders would likely be hunted to extinction, or everything would die as we struggled to our last breath."

"So what is the alternative," she had asked, curious now. She was not sure she believed his take on the situation, but was willing to consider his words.

"We need to find common ground," he said, "Jedi and Sith have been fight for millennia, what has it gotten us? The light and darkside exist together; two parts of a greater whole, why must the Jedi and Sith be any different? It is our arrogance that makes us think otherwise."

Avaryss laughed.

"You would seek _peace_ with the Empire?" she asked incredulously.

"I would seek _equilibrium_," Master Jas said, "There are Force users in the Republic who would do far better as Sith, just as I'm sure there are Sith in the Empire who would make fine Jedi given the choice."

"Impossible," Avaryss said.

"Why?"

"It…it just is."

The rather odd Jedi Master chuckled.

"And that…is why we **both** fail," he said, "It won't be easy, it may very well be impossible, but if we could find a common purpose, a common goal…"

"A common _**enemy,**_" Avaryss suggested.

"That might work too," the Jedi agreed. He gave her an evaluating look.

"I know you believe that peace is a lie, but is order that far different from peace? The Sith and the Jedi are in the same business, we simply have different ways of making the galaxy we seek a reality."

Avaryss had laughed then.

"You are mad," she said.

"Maybe," he confessed, "Or maybe the galaxy is mad, and I'm one of the few sane people left in it."

Avaryss had chuckled.

"Maybe, she had been forced to agree.

IOI

"What happened when you reached your target? Did the Jedi restrain you in any way?"

"We breached the door to Boss Tynnes quarters with an electronic lock pick that the master had brought. We found Tynnes, and especially slimy Quarren hiding behind four burly bodyguards."

Avaryss grinned.

"Master Bynn rendered them unconscious with a wave of his hand, it was most impressive."

"You admire him?" Synestra said coldly.

"I admire the power he wielded," Avaryss said, "His mastery of the Force was most impressive."

Did the criminal give you any trouble?" Master Feore said.

"Not at all, he recognized Bynn, I'm guessing this is not the first time the Jedi had come to the Wreck."

Avaryss smile turned cruel.

"The Jedi accessed the scum's computer while he and I…had a chat. I didn't even have to torture him; he was spilling his guts the moment that I seized him in a Force grip. The squid-head was so frightened that ink was dribbling down his chin."

"And what did you learn from him?"

"That Terrog did not lie to us. The bacteria that was used to destroy, my lord's food shipment had passed through the Wreck. The Exchange sold it off to a third party, a representative of a company called Garog Exports, who provided Lord Terrog with a dummy container filled with vials filled with water. They were a decoy to distract his lordship from what had truly happened. Boss Tynnes knew about the scheme, and had kept a file on it, just in case some Sith tracked him down with questions, he hoped that the file would provide enough information that his life would be spared; which it was, but not because of any charity on my part.

"

Avaryss frowned.

"The Jedi forbade me from killing him. I was tempted to disobey, but it was at that moment that we heard an alarm; Exchange reinforcements were arriving to defend the tower. If we did not leave at that moment, we would likely not have been able to."

Avaryss remember all too well that feeling of disappointment, she would have happily separated the thug's head from his shoulders, but the Jedi would likely have left her behind if she had, she might have been able to escape the Exchange thugs, but why risk her master's prize when she could simply return with it.

No, she had decided that discretion was better. She fled with the Jedi aboard the ship that was carrying the cargo that Shyra Viel had sought.

The Padawan had flown them clear, and after a brief micro-jump to hyperspace, Avaryss was permitted to use her beckon call, to summon her ship. After that, they had parted company, the Jedi and she.

Both sides had acquired what they desired.

"So you just left," Lady Synestra said frowning, "You did not even try to slay them?"

"I know my limits, my lady, and yes, I still have some."

She turned to eyes to her master.

"It is to your training that I turn, my master. I've grown strong under your guidance, and with your continued to teachings I will grow even stronger. I will one day be strong enough to even end the life of Jas Dar Bynn."

Her master sneered, but she sensed warmth and a wave of affection wash over him.

"You flatter me, apprentice."

"I speak only the truth, my lord."

Bael and Synestra were not so easily soothed.

"What was the cargo that the Jedi were so interested in acquiring? What made this Padawan risk offending the Exchange by seizing it?"

"Yeah," Bael said nodding, "My mother is right, what was so bloody valuable?"

"The future," Avaryss answered, "The cargo was fifty children sealed in carbon freeze. They were to be delivered to Darth Terrog, I saw the order myself."

The young Sith shook her head.

"The cargo was labeled _research material_. They were children snatched from a Republic refugee camp."

Avaryss sneered.

"I'm sure that Terrog hoped that I would die fighting Shyra Viel, or perhaps hoped that I would kill her. Regardless, I had no problem letting the Jedi have that transport. Had Lord Feer explained what resistance we needed to expect, He might have rid himself of both Viel, and got his shipment."

"I have no problem letting the cyborg have a bloody nose for lying to us."

Darth Feer glanced over at his Warmaster, who nodded slightly. Synestra did not look pleased, but then again, she would likely not be pleased as long as Avaryss continued to draw breath. Bael grinned madly, likely hoping that his father would be unhappy with her report, and allow him to punish her further.

Avaryss had no desire to risk that. She had given her report, now she was ready to answer her master's question; at least, she thought she was."

"A most interesting tale, apprentice," her master said, "Now answer me this one last question. You returned with the information that I sought, and despite a lack of spilled blood, did accomplish what I asked of you, and yet, I still punished you, why is that?"

Avaryss bowed her head, she gathered her wits, and hoped for the best.

She looked up at her master and smiled.

"It is not so much what I did, my master, but the fact that you desire me to reach a certain conclusion."

He smiled slightly; she could sense both amusement, and a sense of hope.

"And what conclusion would that be, my dear child?"

Her crimson eyes glowed; the world around her took on a slight rosy hue.

"You wanted me to understand that I was suffering because of the Jedi. You wanted me to know that it is because of them that I had to endure such pain. They are our enemies, and despite their value during my last mission, you wanted to make it clear that I should feel no sense of gratitude or trust for the Republic's pawns."

Feer's smile widened.

"And what does that mean to you, my dear?"

"It means that I must grow stronger. I must be ready when I face the Jedi and their allies again, and yes, I do believe that we will meet again."

She bowed her head respectfully.

"It is the fault of the Jedi that I had to suffer, I understand that, and when the opportunity comes, know that I will bring you their heads, theirs, and any other Jedi that conspires with them."

Avaryss lowered her face to the hot stones, debasing herself completely before her master.

"I'm yours, my master, your will is my command. Give me the strength to crush my enemies and I will see all of yours destroyed with both equal commitment and extreme cruelty. I am yours, now and forever."

Avaryss was not sure if he believed her, but she remained where she was, hopeful that he would accept his answer, that she would finally be permitted to end her penance.

"I'm ready to serve," she added, "What is thy bidding, my master?"

Again another pause, but then, she heard a sound, slow and yet, deliberate clapping.

Her heart sang.

She had done it.

"Bravo, my dear," he said over his own applause, "Bravo! You understood completely. You may rise."

She tried to obey, but her weakened legs gave out from beneath her, too long had she been left to kneel. Exhaustion, thirst and hunger rose up to overwhelm her.

Her master, at last, took pity on her.

"Have the slaves carry my apprentice back to her quarters," Lord Feer told the Warmaster, "have her bathed and fed, and then let her rest. I will have need of her tomorrow. We now must track down this Garog Exports. I trust she will be most busy."

"As you will, my lord," the old pure blood said, Avaryss heard him calling out orders, but that was it.

The world finally started to fade away, the last of her strength was exhausted, she glanced up just long enough to see Synestra glaring at her, unhappy no doubt of her continued to survival. Bael seemed to be enjoying her suffering, and did not take note of the look that his mother was giving her.

_Good,_ Avaryss thought.

Bael lacked his mother's understanding of the situation; Avaryss' survival was a threat that the lady and her son would not have an easy time dealing with, especially if the Lady wanted her son to inherit his father's holdings one day.

They are mine, Avaryss thought as she finally let the sweet oblivion take her.

It will all be mine!

Lady Synestra and Bael would not stop her.

House Feer would be hers one day, and on that day their lives as well.

She welcomed that days coming.

It could not be here soon enough.

Her master's voice penetrated the haze that was slowly swallowing her up. His voice was melancholy, regretful even.

"My poor girl," he said, "Look at what the Jedi filth has done to her?"

Indeed, Avaryss thought.

Her master was right!

The Jedi were to blame.

They would pay for her suffering.

When she recovered, they would all pay.

She would see to it.

They would all suffer!


	21. Loyalty

**Chapter 21: Loyalty**

"_Unidentified ship, your engines and weapon's systems have been disabled, stand down and prepare to be boarded."_

Avaryss glanced over at the Imperial at her side. Captain Vaet Brandei was cast purely in the Imperial military mold. For twenty years he had served the Empire, the last six of those years as captain of her master's dreadnaught, the Terror. In his youth he had been the poster boy for Imperial military service, square jawed, discipline, his short blonde hair and uniform styled perfectly to proper Imperial regulation. The years had both hardened and seasoned him, but it was still plain why the man had risen in the ranks. He remained Imperial through and through even after almost two decades of service.

Such men had their uses, she thought, but they tended to be inflexible, they broke when they should have been able to bend.

Avaryss preferred flexibility in her servants.

Give him a chance, Lord Feer had said, and she was doing so…

…for now.

_He is a good man_, her master assured her, _give him room to work, apprentice, and you will find an Imperial worthy of your respect._

"Still no response to our hails, Captain," the comm officer called up from the crew pit.

"They tried to run," the Captain sniffed, "and they managed to destroy two of our fighter craft. After that, I'm no longer interested in what the people on that ship have to say, at least, not until they have undergone a full interrogation."

Avaryss nodded. She admired the captain's restraint. The missile launcher the freighter had hidden between its cargo containers had been a nasty and unpleasant surprise. Yet, the captain still had ordered the gunners to restrict their fire to the ship's engines and weapons systems. The fact that the ship was still there was proof of both the gunners' skill and the Captain's decision.

He was skilled, she could not doubt that, he carried out his orders to the letter, but at the same time, she could not escape the fact that the man was too easily pleased, too quick to claim victory.

Victory was **not** assured yet.

She looked at him, both with her eyes, and through the Force. She did not entirely like what she was seeing.

He is gloating, she thought resisting the urge to shake her head. He believed that victory was already theirs.

She…was not so sure.

She looked out from her place on _the Terror's_ bridge. Before the massive dreadnaught, the medium sized freighter was floating in a cloud of its own debris. Slowly, but surely, the ship was being pulled back into _the Terror's_ hangar bay, the engines of the captured ship flickered and failed, all resistance having been blasted out of it.

Yet, Avaryss sensed no fear from the vessel, the crew should have been panicking, but she felt only a wave of grim determination through the Force.

Captain Brandei glanced over at her, a broad smile on his face.

"As you can see, apprentice," he said practically glowing, "All is well, and in hand."

He stood a little straighter, radiating a sense of pride.

"The Imperial Navy comes through again."

Avaryss shot him a cool look.

"You are too easily pleased, Captain," she said grimly, "I will not claim victory until that ship is safely aboard, and its crew is secured in our interrogation suites."

The Imperial chuckled.

"Soon enough, apprentice," he promised, "Soon enough."

The ship in question was the Kern's Hope out of Ziost; at least, that is what its _official_ story was. It was a ship owned by, and in the service of Garog Exports, the company that had arranged for the removal of Darth Terrog's bacteria back on the Wreck. From here, the ship looked as slender as a reed, with four massive cargo containers secured over its main body like a shell on a snail.

Between Warmaster Feore's investigation into the carrier signal they had gotten on Taris, and Avaryss' adventure on the Wreck, House Feer had determined that Garog Exports was indeed tied up in what was going on with the whole droid espionage plan. Though the Warmaster's people had not completely deciphered the signal yet, what messages they had managed to decode mentioned both the company and the ship several times. Feore had sought to contact the company's offices only to discover that it had none. The export company did not exist, at least physically. It put in bids for jobs in the Empire, usually at far lower fees than any other could hope to match, which got it the contracts it had needed to help infiltrate the Sith's business interests.

Feore believed that the company was a front for Republic SIS. Their only real holding was the ship that was now being pulled into the Terror's hangar bay, and with its arrival, would come answers.

Avaryss returned her attention to the damaged freighter. She reached out with the Force again, expecting to feel panic begin to take root in the men and women on that ship, and again she felt nothing.

She frowned.

She did not share Brandei's confidence in their impending victory.

"We shall see, Captain," she said, turning, her black cloak flaring behind her. She had tried to look as intimidating as possible, clad in a black combat suit and hooded cloak; she had desired to appear both aloof and mysterious. She wished to establish fear in the Terror's crew from the start.

It had not worked as well as she had hoped.

"We shall see to it, personally," she added, "come with me, Captain."

"As you command, apprentice," he said falling in step beside her.

She began to make her way to the hangar bay; she brought out her comlink, summoning her own crew to her side. It was not that she did not trust Brandei or his men; she simply preferred to have her own people around her when they breached the freighter. Though a bit unorthodox, her people knew how to get results, and they tended to see things far differently than a classically trained Imperial.

She welcomed the extra set of eyes.

She would have preferred to have handled this business herself, but her master had overruled her, after what had happened on the Wreck, he wanted no one to doubt that she was a fully committed Imperial, if anyone asked about what had happened with the Jedi, it would seem like simply an isolated incident, an incident that she had done her best to take advantage of.

"What are you expecting to find when the freighter is breached?" the Captain inquired, "Lord Feer told me nothing."

Avaryss glanced over at him, surprised by the man's audacity.

"It is not my place to say," she said, "If my master had wished you to know, he would have told you."

"As you wish," the Captain said, but again she got the sense he was humoring her. Captain Brandei had been respectful since she had been on board, but he had not shown her the same level of deference he had showed her master.

"I trust your men are up to the challenge," she said coldly, "For your sake."

The Captain chuckled.

"I've served House Feer for a long time, apprentice," he reminded her, "I know what is expected of me. Lord Feer and all of his previous apprentices have learned quickly that I get results."

Avaryss nodded, so be it, but she was intrigued by that last part.

"How many apprentices _**has**_ my master had before me?" she asked.

"You are the fifth one I've served. Though, I must admit, the master seems far more interested in your success than your predecessors. You should probably see that as a good sign."

Avaryss fell silent.

A good sign?

In her eyes, it was anything but.

As far as she knew, none of her predecessors had attained the rank of lord. She had heard no talk of any her master's students serving him as newly minted lords. The servants back at the estate would not even speak of those that came before her, or what had happened to them.

That knowledge did not fill her with confidence.

For the moment, her master doted on her, even during her punishment and penance he seemed to desire her success, but was she the first apprentice that he had done so with. How many others had he referred affectionately to as: "my child," only to end them when they had served their purpose?

_That is why you need to be __**more**__ than just another apprentice_, the dark voice within whispered, _you need to build alliances and gather allies. You need the fear and respect of your underlings and peers. What you have collected up to this point is not enough._

She acknowledged that, but Captain Brandei and his men seemed immune to her charms. They were respectful enough, but seemed to see her as a transitory commander, an apprentice who would no doubt be replaced soon enough.

She had to find a way to get them to see otherwise.

These men were proper imperials, they should have been easily bent to her will, but they were not. Recognizing that she did not understand them as well as she should, she had summoned Beric to her quarters on the Fury yesterday. She had refused a cabin on the Terror, she was not entirely sure that what was being said would not be overheard. Her brother had served both long and well in the Imperial Navy. She had hoped that he might be able to shed some light on her next move.

They had spoken little since Taris. He had followed her orders, but a distance had been formed between them. She should have been happy about that, that distance made it less likely her feelings would become another chain. She had no desire to be bound further to her sibling, and yet, still part of her resented the need for that distance.

_He is __**my**__ blood_, she thought.

He should be firmly in **my** corner.

She explained the situation to him. The two of them continuing to play the role of Imperial soldier and Sith Master, and never the two would meet. He listened as she asked about the navy, and how she could win the fear and respect of the men and women beneath her. When she had finished, he stood for a moment, thinking.

"Permission to speak freely, my lord," he said.

"We are alone," she reminded him, "If we cannot speak freely alone, then when can we?"

Her brother snorted, she could sense his amusement. She could not tell if he was amused by what she had said, or if he thought her foolish.

She only just managed to hold her temper in check.

No common soldier should ever dare to think a Sith was foolish.

"Did father ever tell you the story about the fringe campaigns," he asked, "What he did in the army when he was our age?"

"Dad was never one of telling war stories," she reminded him.

"True," her brother agreed, "But this one is related to your question, so I'd hoped he would have shared it with you."

Beric sighed.

"How do you think that you should win these soldiers' respect?"

"That was my question to you," she reminded him.

"Yeah, and I'm turning it back around on you, little sister. How do you expect to win the loyalty of the Captain and his men?"

Avaryss scowled.

"I've found that fear is an excellent equalizer," she said, "Perhaps I should _execute_ Captain Brandei for some slight. His replacement would likely thank me for it, and the tale would do much to spread fear in the ranks. The common soldiers would learn soon enough not to cross me."

"That is one way to do it, I suppose," he agreed, though she could sense his disappointment at her answer.

It made her angry.

"You have a better idea?"

"Father did," Beric answered, "He learned it during the Fringe campaigns."

"Oh really," Avaryss replied dryly, "Tell me, what did our dear father have to say about the fringe campaigns?"

Beric's eyes narrowed, he clearly took offense to what she had said about father, or rather the sarcastic tone she used, but was a smart enough soldier not to call her on it. He knew the risk of angering a Sith, even one he was related to.

"As you said, father did not like telling war stories. He didn't want us growing up and thinking poorly of the masters. The only reason he told me what happened was because I had just joined the navy and he wanted me to be prepared for what I might face during my service. Anyway, the Fringe Campaign, according to father some rogue Darth had been making trouble for the council. They dispatched the fleet and three Sith Masters to deal with the problem. One of those masters, not father's thank the Emperor, had made it a point of pride that he kept his men in a constant state of fear."

"Fear is a great motivator," Avaryss said with a smile.

"True," her brother said, "But please, sis, let me finish. Anyway this master and his men were the tip of the spear in the Empire's campaign. They sustained heavy losses, but got the job done. One morning a scout made his report to this master's lieutenant, informing him that the strategy that the master had planned would not work. The enemy had both cover and superior numbers."

"I take it the Sith adapted his plan accordingly?"

Her brother smiled coldly.

"He did not; the lieutenant did not relay the information. His predecessor had been executed by the lord two days earlier for bringing an unfavorable report, so he chose to say nothing, to trust in the strength of arms to carry the day."

Avaryss said nothing, what could she say?

She could guess what happened next.

"The Master's force got mauled, he tried to push forward, but they were cut to pieces, the enemy was too well fortified and prepared. Father's unit was sent in after to clean up, using the intel that had been gathered by the previous unit's destruction. The master that had so cultivated fear in his subordinates was found mortally wounded on the battlefield. The one who led our father's unit put him to death for his failure, not a single one of the lord's surviving troopers spoke a word or lifted a finger to stop it."

Her brother sighed.

"Fear is not enough, little sister, not if you wish to truly rule. Father could be ruthless when needed, but he was also fair, and gave credit where credit was due. He did not have to swing the largest sword to be effective."

_And yet he still died_, Avaryss thought, it was all she could do to keep from shrieking those very words in her brother's face, _what was the point of father's fairness? No one had lifted a finger to help when Lord Feer sent his men for him._

_And now you bow to the very man that murdered father, that had mother and the girls murdered._

_Are __**you**__ any better?_

That thought haunted Avaryss. She…she was not sure what to make of that.

"The power you were born with, and the training that you have grants you the right to rule, little sister, but to rule, to truly command the respect of the men under you, you have to be more than a simple weapon. If what you told me about the Captain is true, then that is how the Captain and the crew see you, is it not? You are just another weapon that their master wields. They don't think you will be around long enough to matter.

She frowned, but at the same time her mind was working, the wheels were turning in her head.

He is not wrong, she realized.

I do need to be more.

"What am I supposed to do? Invite the crew to tea?"

"Show them that their lives matter to you. Show them that you will not waste them recklessly. Let them see your power, but at the same time, show them that you can be gracious in both victory and defeat. If that bothers your Sith pride, then try looking at it another way. These men are _**your**_ weapon, little sister. You would not go into battle with a weapon that had you had not serviced until it was perfect. You know enough to take care of a weapon in your arsenal do you not? Punish those truly at fault, but sympathize with those that were simply doing their duty. The failing of one is not the failing of all."

"Then I should lead from the front then? Show them that I do not mind getting my hands dirty?"

"That would be a start, but more importantly watch for opportunities. You are good at sniffing out opportunity; you showed that back on Taris. Wait for the best moment, and strike hard, take advantage, and more importantly let the men _**see**_ you doing it. You manage to pull that off, then you will not only be feared and respected, but your men will come to worship you, and be willing to march into the teeth of death for you. Become more than just another Sith commander, but the Empire personified."

Avaryss thought about that, a cruel smile came to her lips.

The Empire personified her brother had said, let the men see her as the embodiment of what they were fighting for.

The idea had merit, and more to the point, she liked it.

In this, she would much rather be loved than feared.

She just needed to wait for the right opportunity.

She just needed to prove herself.

That opportunity would come soon enough.

IOI

"Breach team is now in position."

Avaryss stood beside Captain Brandei and the rest of her crew. Rink was slouched forward with a bored look on his face, while Holli double checked the tools on her belt. Once the breach team had pacified the crew, it would fall to the engineer to secure their computer system, and begin downloading anything and everything that her master might want.

Beric stood two steps behind her, he was now clad in a trooper's plate, and officer's command helmet. He would serve as her bodyguard when she boarded the ship, not that she really needed one.

Avaryss sneered.

Now, perhaps, they would get some more answers.

She had watched patiently as two of the breach team's troopers rigged the freighter's entry port with explosives. The disabled freighter was now locked down in the hangar bay, any resistance the crew could offer them now was pointless, if they were smart; they would surrender without further bloodshed.

Avaryss doubted that they would be that reasonable.

"All is ready, apprentice," Captain Brandei informed her, still radiating with feelings of confidence, at his side his first office, Commander Dryso remained passive, The man seemed far more careful than his commanding officer.

She made note of that for future reference.

"Proceed, captain," she ordered, "For the Empire."

"For the Empire," he repeated, gesturing to the commander of the breach team to begin their attack.

The officer triggered the explosives.

The hatches edges began to spark and glow orange. Even from twenty feet away you could feel the heat.

The hatch blew in with a loud pop!

Avaryss eyes widened in horror.

The breach team vanished in a jet of thick white mist; it flowed out of the ship like water, rising quickly above the heads of the troopers.

The Force screamed at her, the cloud felt of death, icy and hungry.

It was all she could do to keep from bolting.

The world seemed to slow down. She could hear the distant cries of the soldiers, hear their words.

Trap!

Poison!

Fall back!

FALL BACK!

Poison.

The memory of Fehl's death came back to her, they had been so connected that she had felt his dying moments through the Force, the agony he had felt, the helplessness. The thought of being poisoned herself, of dying that way terrified her, but in terror there was opportunity. The world slowed down.

She had learned to fear into anger, terror easily became rage, and rage was power!

She raised her hand and reached out with the Force.

The cloud was too close; even if she ran it would overtake her. She could use the Force to save her, but in doing so she would abandon Beric and the others. They would die.

Her eyes narrowed dangerously.

She would not lose her crew, or her brother! They were **hers!**

_**THEY WERE HERS!**_

She reached out with the Force, trying to contain the cloud, it was not as easy as containing a solid object, the stuff flowed like water, hard to contain, but at the same time, the Force surrounded the poison like it surrounded everything else.

She tried to push the cloud back, keep it away from her and her men. All around the dreadnaught's hangar, soldiers and technicians were scattering, an alarm blared overhead, as ventilator fans kicked on, trying to draw the poison away from the soldiers and support staff.

She could hear Captain Brandei barking orders, shouting for the crew to make for the various shuttles and fighters that lined the docking bay. It was a smart move, Avaryss realized, those ships had their own atmosphere; the men would be safe there from the cloud.

The captain could have saved himself, he could have got to safety while she held the mist back, but instead he remained, trying to save his men.

Her brother's suggestion came back to her, about caring for the weapons under her command. Yes, she would have to sacrifice some to achieve her goals, but that did not mean she had to do so foolishly. If the death of a servant served no purpose but amusement, what was the point?

Life should matter for something.

"My lord," Beric said, almost whispering in her ear, "Sister, we must flee!"

They could now, she realized. The cloud was slowly flowing around them, but had not yet cut off their escape. She had managed to shield them with the Force, her crew, the captain and first officer.

They could run, but she saw an opportunity here.

"Quiet, brother," she murmured, "I'm concentrating."

She gestured with her hands, the gas parted revealing the breach team, they were still alive, she could sense that, but it was a near thing, the gas appeared to be corrosive, eating away at their armor, who could say what it would do to a person's lungs.

"Pull those men out of there," she shouted, "Get them to safety."

The few soldiers that had been shielded by her obeyed, Beric and Rink helped.

Once those men were up and moving, either under their own power or being carried, Avaryss began to back up, using her shield to protect them from the poison now swirling through the hangar. It was straining her abilities, but at the same time, she welcomed the challenge, her fear of death, the memory of Fehl, and her frustration with Captain Brandei, his treatment of her gave her plenty of fuel to stoke the fires of the dark side within her.

_You think I'm nothing,_ she thought bitterly, _just another replaceable apprentice!_

_I will show you what I am!_

They made for a small ready room off the back of the hangar, where the Sith pilots would gather before leaving on mission, the room had a blast door that was strong enough to protect anyone inside from an explosive decompression, it would serve to keep them safe from the gas.

Once they were all safely inside, Rink leapt forward, and hit the door control, sealing the room. Avaryss, exhausted from holding back the poison gas, wobbled on her feet, but stayed standing. Beric was at her side, holding her arm, making sure she did not fall.

The two children of Andur Lylos nodded to each other, a silent thanks.

She took a deep breath and stood taller. She glared at both the captain and the first officer. For the first time since they had met, she sensed fear in Captain Brandei. The look in his eyes made that abundantly clear. Avaryss could also sense Commander Dryso, or rather, his excitement, eager to see what she did next.

He expects me to execute Brandei, she realized, the first officer was looking for a promotion.

He might get it, depending on what passed between her and the captain in the next few minutes.

"Thoughts Captain," she said, "What just happened?"

"Reactor coolant," Holli spoke up quickly, "There must have been a breach in the freighter's reactor, nasty stuff, corrosive, and poisonous, not a good way to go."

Rink sneered at Captain Brandei.

"Looks like your gunners missed their mark captain; I thought the goal was to take the crew of that ship alive?"

Brandei paled, he glared at Rink, but quickly turned his attention back to Avaryss, fearing her response.

His fear was growing, she could feel it. It was delicious, prey reaction to the hunter.

She welcomed it, and what came next!

"My men know their business, they did not miss their mark." she could hear the fear in his voice, he was sweating.

She thought to raise her hand, either to reach out with the Force to choke the man, or to bring Force lightning to bear. She would enjoy the man's suffering, he would die in agony! He would…

Do not waste and opportunity.

Beric's words came back to her.

Brandei had not run; he had stayed trying to aid his crew, even though it likely meant his death. He could have pawned off the blame on the gunners or the officer in charge, but he had not.

He was far braver than she had thought.

She lowered her hand, her temper cooling.

She had another idea.

"Commander Dryso, see to clean up here, I want that hangar clear. We still need to know what is on that ship. As soon as it is clear, I want a scanning crew aboard that ship; I want every part of that ship checked and double checked, am I understood?"

"At once, apprentice, "the man said snapping off a smart salute.

Avaryss nodded, noting that the Captain did not try to countermand her orders, it was his ship, sure, but she was Darth Feer's apprentice.

That station did give her some power here.

"Holli see what you can do to aid him, Rink stay here and aid her."

Her crew nodded, knowing their duty.

Avaryss turned her attention to captain.

"Walk with me, Captain," she said, "Lieutenant Lylos, with us."

She began to walk. Brandei fell in step beside her. Beric followed five steps behind them. The Captain still had his guard up, but his fear level had dropped considerably. He knows that if I was going to kill him for incompetence I would have done so in the ready room, but he remains cautious.

That is wise of him, she thought.

She remained silent for the first twenty or thirty feet, they walked in silence, crew members moving out of their way. She wanted to see what his next words would be, if he would make excuses or take responsibility.

"My men did not miss their mark," he repeated.

Defending his crew again, interesting. She made up her mind; she knew what she would do now.

"I don't believe they did," she said with a shrug, "I felt life on that ship right up until the moment we breached the hatch. I sensed fear, but also grim acceptance."

Brandei's eyes narrowed, considering what she had said. It did not take him long to come to the same conclusion that she had reached.

"Suicide?" he asked.

She nodded.

"They _**killed **_themselves, rather than risk facing interrogation; they flooded their ship with poison gas."

Almost as an afterthought Avaryss reached out towards the hangar with the Force, seeking any life aboard the captured freighter, she felt none.

She sighed.

"All dead," she said shaking her head, "And I think it is safe to say they spent their last few moments erasing everything of value on that ship."

"They no doubt _**tried**_, apprentice," Brandei agreed, "But they were in a hurry, they no doubt missed something, we will find it. Our scanning crews will go over every bolt and hull plate of that ship, if anything useful remains, they will find it."

She smiled, that was not simply arrogance in his voice, it was determination; the Pub agents on that ship had made them look like fools.

The Captain now had a personal stake in seeing something found on that vessel; that was useful.

Avaryss was pleased.

"We were outplayed today, Captain. These Republics are not playing by their usual rules; we must adapt and rise to the occasion."

"We shall, apprentice," he said with renewed resolve, "You have my word."

She held his gaze for a moment, he looked away first, letting her have her moment of dominance.

She accepted it, as was her due.

"I believe you," she said stopping, the two faced each other, her red eyes glinting beneath the black cowl she wore.

"You have proved my master's faith in you was not without merit, Captain," she said, "Neither you, nor the crew of this vessel was at fault for what occurred in that hangar. In fact, your men are examples of what the Imperial navy should be, see that they know that."

"Thank you, apprentice," he said standing at attention.

"I will be in my chambers, send word immediately when you have Dryso's report. I want to know what is on that ship, and any secrets that we can glean from it."

"It will be done, my lord," he said saluting her.

Avaryss smiled.

My lord, she thought.

Well what do you know, Beric was right.

"We were outmaneuvered today, Captain, do not let it happen again."

"Yes, my lord."

"See to it, Captain, immediately."

He made a sharp military turn, already calling out a crewer walking down the hall.

Avaryss and Beric watched him go, his renewed sense of purpose shining like a star.

She glanced over at her brother.

"Thank you," she murmured, "You were right."

Beric beamed with pride, pride in her.

It warmed her heart.

"His men did nothing wrong, neither did he," Beric said.

"Yes," she agreed.

"Yet, you subtlety reminded him that Dryso is ready to replace him, should he mess up."

Avaryss sneered.

"Fear has its place, brother."

"Yes, it does," he agreed.

The two children of Andur Lylos were in agreement, for the first time since they had been reunited on Taris.

Avaryss thought that was a good thing.

"Father would have been proud of you, today," he said.

Avaryss grinned.

She doubted that, but that was okay.

Beric was proud of her.

She accepted that.

For now, that was enough.


	22. The Name

**Chapter 22: The Name**

_We are being tested._

The idea came to Avaryss while she was meditating. As she slipped deeper and deeper into the darkside the world opened up to her in most…interesting ways.

The darkside is so much more than what we understand, she had thought to herself as she drifted among the shadows.

How little we truly know.

She heard a voice in the back of her mind, it whispered something, a name perhaps, but it was gone just as quickly as she had heard it.

_It was quickly lost in the ether._

As she meditated in her quarters aboard the Fury, and floated several feet above her bed, the darkside appeared to her like a great shadowy sea. She could sense the cold currents of fear and terror. Feel the red hot waves of rage and hate that even now crashed against the shores of her knowledge and skill. She let her mind sink into that darkness, let it fill her up, let herself drown in the shadowy currents. Power washed over her, threatened to overwhelm her. If she had allowed it, had she let go completely, let it consume her, the darkside would have left her irrevocably changed. She would have emerged as a force of nature, a killing machine whose desire for blood and death would never be sated. Her crew would have been the first to die, followed by the crew of the Terror, and so on, and so on, and so on.

She smiled coldly.

That will never be my fate, she thought to herself. My will is too strong, my desires bent to serving the Empire, to expanding our control over the chaotic galaxy!

Control is what mattered to her, not losing herself in acts of blood and sadism.

No.

She did not simply want to lose herself, she wanted to be in control, to sit above her lessers and direct them.

Again she heard the whisper, louder this time, clearer…perhaps the darkness approved of her self-control, that or it was teasing her for not being willing to give in completely to the power it offered.

Either idea had merit.

It was only through direction, direction and the strength of will that the destructive conflict that was the galaxy as a whole would end. There would always be the potential for violence, the strong would have to defend their place in the galaxy, but that was the way of things, the way of the dark side.

The strong led, the weak followed.

Strength was not simply a tool to destroy, it could preserve as well, bring about a world with a purity and beauty undreamed of by anyone.

The Sith would bring that purity. They would bring that beautiful new world into being.

She had foreseen it.

We are _**not **_just the servants of the darkside. _**We**_ are champions of stability and order.

The golden age of the Sith _**would**_ return.

Again she heard the whisper, and yes, this time she knew it was a name, she strained her ears, reached out with her power, and it was almost there, almost within reach.

A Sith could do anything she set her mind to…_**anything.**_

Only the Sith can save our troubled civilization, she realized, only through security and order can the full potential of this galaxy be realized.

Only the Empire could do this, she thought.

Only we have the strength to see it done.

As she let the dark power wash over her, she became aware of the change in the currents of the Force, the darkness seemed…_**darker**_ somehow. It felt to her like the air before a severe storm, or perhaps a forest left parched by too many dry days, all it took was a single spark and everything would explode.

_The dark side __**is**__ in ascendance_, she realized with a hungry glint in her eyes. It would _not_ be long now.

War, she thought with a shiver, after almost eight years of waiting, finally we are almost ready.

Soon we will finally move to conquer the Republic!

We will crush the JEDI!

She found herself eager to begin, to lead her master's forces in this new war, to bring a lasting order to the galaxy.

It was in that moment that the idea that they were being tested first came into her mind.

This conspiracy, this plot involving the Jedi Order and Republic SIS was the greatest threat the Empire had ever known. By striking at the Empire in this way, in inviting conflict between the lords, the Jedi involved had crossed a threshold, one in which there was no turning back.

It was a threat, even the greenest of hopefuls would have recognized that, and yet, the Emperor remained silent. The throne offered no guidance, no plan of attack to combat this threat.

What good was having an all-knowing immortal ruler if that ruler did nothing to aid his people? If an Emperor did not rule, then what good was he?

It was a subversive thought a treasonous one, but Avaryss could not help it. Here, surrounded by the dark side she was emboldened.

Perhaps new leadership was needed, she thought.

It takes an Emperor to rule an Empire…

…or perhaps…an Empress.

In that moment the darkness seemed to part, she saw a glimpse of what might yet be.

It took her breath away.

She so herself not as she was now, but an old woman, a very old woman, her features all but hidden by a black cowl, plain black robes cloaked her aged body, she walked with a limp, forcing her to rely on a cane, yet that did not change what she felt.

Her body was old and wizened, but the power that burned within her was as bright as a star, her crimson eyes blazed with red flame. The dark side was strong in her, perhaps the strongest it had ever been or ever would be.

All around her, soldiers stood at attention, paying homage to her, their Empress, the ultimate power in the universe, the dark side given physical form.

At her side walked a large armored apprentice. She sensed his resentment, but also his fear and awe of her, she was all that he inspired to be, but he feared that he was not strong enough, that he would never be strong enough.

That was good, that would keep her in power.

"Everything is proceeding exactly as I've foreseen," she told her student, he merely nodded.

Avaryss threw back her head and cackled, it was an eerie sound, like a blade scraping on a sheet of metal, and in that sound, and she heard the name, the one that had been denied her for so long.

_Noldan Alde._

_Noldan Alde._

She smiled.

She had no idea who this person was, and she did not care.

He was the next step on her road to power, the next piece in the puzzle of destroying the Jedi conspiracy.

She welcomed his arrival, and soon the Jedi would come to regret it, yes.

They would indeed regret what was coming!

Perhaps these Jedi did not realize what they had done? Perhaps they thought that this passive aggressive strategy would allow them to maintain their precious calm and serenity, while at the same time bring them the satisfaction of harming the Sith Empire, paying them back for the destruction of their temple during the last days of the last war.

If that was so, then they were fools. They understood so little.

Cunning, stealth, and deception were weapons of the dark side. Whether they realized it or not, these Jedi conspirators were using the weapons of the dark side, and the more they used them, the more they would be drawn into the service of the dark. Even if their scheme worked, even if it did cause the Empire to implode, it would not be the end of the dark side, oh no.

It would be the beginning of something else.

If the Empire was to collapse, if the lords annihilated each other in a frenzy of fire and retribution, the ones that had caused that end would find themselves made strong by the dark side. Who knew, the Empire itself might be reborn in them, by destroying the old, they might just usher in a new era for the dark side. In time they might be the ones to bring down the Jedi Order.

In seeking to destroy the Empire, these firebrands might become the new Sith. They might become the new masters of the darkside.

She shivered.

She would not allow that to happen. She had worked too hard, trained too hard.

She would not let others claim the prize she had grown to desire for herself.

She needed to get to the bottom of this conspiracy, not just for the Empire, but for herself as well. The dark side was in ascendance, she would use that to her advantage, she would work her way up the food chain, and find the masterminds behind this plot to bring down the Empire that she loved, and when she did…when she did…

She would have a choice to make.

Most Sith would say that the conspirators should be annihilated. That anyone who would dare try to bring down the Empire should be made an example of, that was one solution to the problem, but hardly the only one.

As she drifted in the darkness a new idea came to her, one that made her tingle with excitement.

What a wonderful idea, she thought, what a wonderfully delicious thought.

The Jedi involved in this, they were already playing with the dark side, taking sips from the well that was its power. She would seek out the strongest of these Jedi, the strongest, and the most impressionable. She would find the ones most eager to find success, to find power and glory.

They had drunk from the well once; she would make sure they drank more than their fill. She would offer them their dreams.

It would be interesting to see how many came to accept her offer.

The best way to deal with an enemy was to make him your friend. Darth Hecaetus had understood that. In seeking to destroy the Sith, there were bound to be Jedi who had grown intrigued by the deceptions and schemes they were using, some might just hunger for more.

She would be there to offer them exactly that.

She would take what she wanted, a few of the conspirators might just make good Sith. She would offer those the chance to join the Empire, to continue their exploration of the dark side. No doubt some of their fellows would remain stubborn, unwilling to join, unwilling to accept that the dark side owned them now.

These would prove an excellent test for her new disciples; the thought of turning apprentice upon master excited her. How those fights would all play out, what she would gain from them.

That was the endgame, but first she needed to find the next step.

She needed to find Noldan Alde, after that, the fun would really begin.

The very thought of it…it was delicious! It excited her. She would be…

"Boss?"

The voice drifted through the darkness, it seemed very far away, but she could hear it none the less.

"Boss? Can you hear me?"

Avaryss sighed.

Yes, she thought.

Unfortunately.

She willed herself back into the mundane world. Her body still tingled with realization of her new plan, but at the same time, she realized that she still had a ways to go before she could implement it in the way she saw fit.

The enemy is cunning, she knew, she would have to be even more so.

She looked around her chambers, she was alone, sitting cross-legged on her bed; her comlink was blinking.

She sighed and pulled it to her with the Force.

"Yes, Mister Rink," she said coldly, "What is it?"

"Sorry to disturb you, boss," her pilot said nervously, "But you told me to contact you as soon as we heard back from Dromund Kaas. Well, you have a call coming in, it Warmaster Feore, he wants to speak with you."

Avaryss frowned.

Warmaster Feore?

She had assumed it would be her master contacting her directly. What they had found on the freighter, what it meant as they moved forward was quite important.

Surely Darth Feer understood that. She had nothing but respect for Feore, the old pure blood was a cunning ally.

She just wondered if her master was not taking what was going on as seriously as he should.

She sighed.

"Very well," she said, "I will confer with the Warmaster; inform him that I'm on my way."

"Sure thing, boss, whatever you say."

Avaryss' comlink clicked as Rink broke the connection.

Avaryss sighed again and rose from her bed.

It had been four days since she had sent her latest report back to House Feer. She hoped that the Warmaster had some good news for her. Though her time on the Terror had been informative, she was eager to get back on the hunt.

The longer they waited, the more time that their adversaries had to prepare for their eventual coming, either that or they might choose to scatter, leave the Sith with no clear enemy to face.

Neither thought pleased her, they would need to move quickly find the culprits and deal with them.

Avaryss intended to be the tip of that spear.

She had begun this investigation after all, she was eager to see it through to the end.

If they were successful, House Feer and its members would be heralded as Heroes of the Empire.

Avaryss was eager to claim that title.

It was the first step in her _**own**_ plans.

Her masters teaching were making her stronger, but it was not enough.

She wanted more, she _**needed**_ more!

This would be the way to get it; she knew it to be true.

She had foreseen it.

It would be done.

As she made her way to comm room, she acknowledged the crew as she passed. Holli continued work on the HK droid that she had found on Tatooine, and had made quite a bit of progress with it. The droid now stood on its own legs, its chassis polished; components within the droid were blinking from inside the droid's open chassis.

It was still not ready yet, of course, Holli was still having problems with the CPU, but she was working on them. Avaryss had faith in the girl. She would not disappoint her.

Beric was checking over their weapon's stores, he had raided the Terror's armory to bring their compliment of hand weapons and explosives up to what he felt were a…acceptable level.

Which meant that they were now armed to the teeth, she thought with an amused smile.

Wherever their next stop was, they would not want for weapons to do damage.

Rink was likely up in the cockpit, making sure that the ship was ready when she gave the order for them to leave. She had to admit, the former street rat had proved to a most able man when properly motivated. Warmaster Feore was still looking into what had happened to that Twilek girl of his, and would no doubt have answers soon.

The promise of those answers did much to keep Rink in line. He understood that their interests were aligned, and would go to any length to ensure that they reached their goal.

I get what I want, and he will get what he wants. It was a relationship that Avaryss both understood, and accepted.

She had no problem rewarded a servant who served her well.

She came to the comm station and powered it up; she stood at attention as the call coming in from Dromund Kaas connected the air above her shimmered as Warmaster Feore's form appeared in the blue haze.

"Apprentice," he said bowing his head in greetings.

"Warmaster," she said with a slight nod, "You have something for me?"

The old Sith smiled.

"Our master has conversed with Lord Vawrawn," he informed her.

"We have learned some interesting things."

Darth Vawrawn had been the Sith Lord that had hired the freighter that the Terror had captured. A longtime member of the dark council, Vawrawn had been put in charge of overseeing a new statue on Dromund Kaas; it was to be a new monument to the Empire's greatness.

Sadly the construction had suffered a slew of setbacks, chief among them a series of revolts among the slaves tasked with building the new colossal statue. Execution was proving to be a poor deterrent, too many escaped slaves hiding in the jungle, they continued to harass the workers, recruiting more and more among their numbers.

The freighter's cargo was supposed to change that, twelve new security droids, to both protect the workers and make sure no more decided to slip their leashes, one hundred new slave collars were all supposed to be on board, to enforce moral among the workers, not to mention new construction materials, permacrete mix, sonic drills, and other technology that would allow the work to move more easily, and therefore speed up construction. At least that is what the freighter had supposed to have been carrying.

After the poison gas had been cleared, after the ship been secured, they discovered the cargo on board was something else entirely.

It was certainly not what Darth Vawrawn had ordered.

"I do hope the councilor is not too unhappy with us," she said, "Seizing that freighter was the only option we had."

"He is not unhappy," the Warmaster said, "Especially after reading your report on what cargo that ship was carrying. If anything the dark lord is most grateful. Our work saved him from a major embarrassment; he is most pleased with our master."

Avaryss nodded but silently bristled.

She and Feore had done all the ground work, now Lord Feer was taking all the credit.

It was not right.

"'ve read the report Captain Brandei sent," Feore continued, "Is the manifest that he sent us accurate?"

"I believe it is," she nodded, "I inspected the cargo myself. Ten crates of heavy blaster rifles, four crates of disruptor pistols, five hundred military grade detonators, and four class-C shield generators, enough firepower to start a small war, and shields strong enough to deflect everything but the most heavy bombardment."

Avaryss shook her head.

She could only imagine what would have happened had that ship made it to the construction site, all those weapons. They would have turned a minor slave revolt into a full-fledged rebellion.

They had been fortunate; the Force had served them well.

The arming of slaves was nothing new in Sith politics. The dark lords had used armed slaves as pawns before, either to embarrass a rival, or to simply disrupt their organization. What made this attempt so problematic was the type of weapons. No Sith was foolish enough to offer up military hardware to slaves, not on the homeworld, it was a recipe for disaster.

Avaryss did not believe for a minute that a dark council member would make such a mistake. She had had Captain Brandei's best team go over the freighter with a fine a fine toothed comb. As she had suspected, the crew had used their final moments to erase their computers, but a single file did remain miraculously. After easily breaking its encryption, it revealed that the Dark Council member Darth Vengean had ordered the cargo replaced at the last minute, during the freighter's last stop.

Avaryss did not accept that file as genuine, the only one that just happened to survive erasure? The one that would no doubt put Lords Vawrawn and Vengean at each other's throats.

No she had not bought that story, and neither did her master.

"Have we explained to Lord Vawrawn what is going on," she asked Feore, "Our work will all be for nothing if the councilor decides to start feuding with his rival."

"The dark lord has been informed that the file you found is suspect," the pure blood assured her, "He has agreed not to seek any retribution until we have gotten to the bottom of this matter."

Avaryss nodded.

Praise the Force for small favors.

By their quick actions, House Feer had prevented a major catastrophe on Dromund Kaas. Now they needed to get to the bottom of who was truly behind it. Captain Brandei's scanning crews had swept the captured freighter, its cargo, and the bodies on board for clues. Reports had been sent back and forth between the Terror and House Feer, as Lord Feer's staff had analyzed the data and compared notes.

Avaryss hoped that they had found something; she was climbing the walls here. She wanted to bloody her lightsaber again.

She wanted action!

"Have we turned up anything on the freighter or its crew?" she asked Feore, "Any lead that might point us to where we go next?"

"The erasure was quite thorough apprentice," the Warmaster said, "but the ship's computer was not the only lead we have. The weapons you seized were unmarked, any identifying marks had been removed, but that does not mean that there was nothing to be found."

Avaryss grinned.

"You found something?"

The old Sith nodded, grinning.

"The generators and weapons themselves were unmarked, but the components within had to be manufactured somewhere. We have been able to name at least five companies involved in fabrication of those components, nothing really telling by itself, but if you put them all together…"

"You found a common thread?" Avaryss smirked.

Two of those companies were simple heavy weapons manufacture, their involvement was not surprising. However three of those companies were traced back to a single holding company. A company that not only placed the order, but made sure those components got where they needed to go, likely with no questions asked."

We have a lead, Avaryss said only just stifling a girlish giggle.

We have them!

The people they sought may not be pub SIS, but Avaryss was willing to bet that they would be able to point them in the right direction, provided they were still alive.

We need to move quickly, before the Republic agents can cover their tracks.

"What is the company's name? We must make haste."

"Everything we found traced the components back to a shipping company on Alderaan. Its director is a member of noble houses there. His name is…

"Noldan Alde," they both said at the same time.

Warmaster Feore blinked. Avaryss realized in that moment what she said.

She cursed herself for a fool.

Knowledge was power; it was foolish to reveal her cards in her hand so quickly.

"The Force serves you well, young one," the old pure blood said, "You managed to pick the name from my mind with little or no effort."

"The dark side is generous," she said bowing her head, "Our master has trained me well."

She knew this would get back to Darth Feer. Feore was too loyal not to mention it to him. Would her master be pleased or concerned?

Avaryss would need to keep her guard up.

"Should I inform Captain Brandei of our destination? The Terror should be able to reach Alderaan in a few hours."

"Discretion is better here that brute force, apprentice," Feore advised her, "Bringing a Harrier class dreadnaught to Alderaan may not send the best message. The continued secrecy of your mission would be better served if you took you went alone to Alderaan. Your Interceptor would not cause the alarm that a Sith Capital ship would."

"It will be done, Warmaster," she said bowing slightly, "Does the Empire have any friends on Alderaan; it is pretty deep in the Republic, one of the original members if I remember my lessons."

"Alderaan was a Republic member," Feore said, "A recent matter of succession among the nobles has resulted in the planet reevaluating its stance. Things are quite tense there; the chance of a Civil War breaking out is high. House Thul of Alderaan owes the Empire much; they are proving to be useful pawns for the Empire. They will aid you, once they've been properly motivated."

The old pure blood smiled.

"You can use this to your advantage, girl."

She almost laughed.

As always the Warmaster offered sage advice. She could use this chaos to her advantage. Plus, if things had gotten that bad, it would not be hard to find people eager to sell out their own world to better their chances to get the throne.

She could not have asked for a better situation to walk into.

"We shall leave immediately," she promised him, "Contact our agents within House Thul. I will need to move quickly once I've arrived."

"It will be done, apprentice," the old man nodded, "Good luck in the hunt, and may the Force serve you well."

"Have no fear, Warmaster," she said grinning.

"This is going to be most interesting visit."


	23. Alderaan

**Chapter 23: Alderaan**

Darth Feer's agent in House Thul was currently staying at the family's mountain retreat. It was here that he agreed to meet with Avaryss and tell her what he had discovered about Noldan Alde.

The Interceptor had passed unnoticed into the Alderaan system, or at the very least, _unmolested_. The clearance codes that Warmaster Feore had provided had gotten them past planetary security. Now the ship dipped down into the atmosphere, Avaryss stood on the bridge as Rink brought them in. She looked upon this new world with both her eyes and the Force, eager to see what awaited her.

It was indeed a beautiful place, as they broke through the cloud layer they cruised over a great rolling plains dotted with dark green forests. It was said that the Alderaani valued the peace and beauty of their world above all, a home of artisans and philosophers, the planet was said to be one of the most civilized in the galaxy, a blue and green jewel in the Republic's crown.

Avaryss smiled.

_Looks_, she knew, _could be deceiving._

Despite its peaceful look, she could feel the power in this place. The Force flowed strongly on worlds teeming with life, and right now, the Force was influx. The struggle for the Alderaani throne was affecting this place, she could sense that discord through the Force.

_Another world where the dark side is in ascendance,_ she thought, _that will make things far easier for me as we move forward._

She did not know all the details of what was happening here, but it was clear that conflict was brewing. The future of the Alderaani throne was in dispute, and several noble houses bickered over who should be sitting on it, and what direction the planet should take moving forward.

If they were not careful, the whole planet may fall into a state of civil war.

Such a war _might_ be useful to the Empire, but that was not why Avaryss was here. She had a target to locate. She hoped that their allies could aid her in that search, for their sake.

She was growing tired of dead ends and being blocked. She was ready to start taking heads.

Somewhere down there Noldan Alde _was_ waiting. She was not sure how he was connected with the conspiracy she was investigating, but she would find out, one way or the other. Alde was just another step on the ladder to success.

She was ready to use it.

They received a transmission from a servant of House Thul, the one noble house that was aiding Imperial interests; it directed them towards their destination. It was a path that led them through a great snow covered mountain range. Despite her Sith training and control, Avaryss could not entirely suppress the sense of child-like wonder she felt when she saw snow for the first time, she knew what it was, of course, had even seen holos, but to see it with her own eyes…

Back on Oridanna, the winter months brought only windstorms, the grasses browned a bit, but that was it, to see a world so transformed, to see it capped in white was quite beautiful.

While she had been watching, Beric came up behind her, her brother may not have been Force sensitive, but he knew her reactions well enough to guess what she had been thinking.

"Pretty isn't it?" he asked.

She nodded.

He chuckled.

"After fighting on a few ice worlds, it's kind of lost its appeal. Illum, Rhen Var, you **really** see snow on _those_ worlds, and cold so deep it gets into your very bones."

Her brother shivered.

"Snow kind of loses its beauty after having lived through that."

_Perhaps_, she thought, _her brother had no doubt seen more than she had during his travels, but that was part of the reason he was here, wasn't it? So that she could make best use of his skills and experience._

"Bring us in Mister Rink," she ordered, "I shall be in my chambers preparing, send word when we touch down."

"Sure thing, boss," the pilot said with a grin.

She slipped past her brother and went to fetch her best cloak.

House Thul saw themselves as nobility, it would be best to treat them as such, despite their lack of the Force, they **were **allies.

She would treat them accordingly.

An eager shiver ran down her spine, after so many months of sneaking through dark places on her master's behalf it would feel good to walk in the light, to show off the sense of refinement she had been cultivating on Dromund Kaas.

She was here not only representing her master, but the Sith as well.

She intended to put her best foot forward.

IOI

The sun was shining brightly as they finally touched down on the Thul landing pad. Avaryss blinked in the brightness as she descended the ramp. She pulled her hood farther down to shield her weakened eyes from the bright light.

Four guards in ceremonial armor awaited them, in the middle walked a young woman with dark skin, eyes and hair, her clothing suggested nobility, she bowed slightly as Avaryss exited her ship.

"Welcome Sith," the young woman said politely, "I am Elana Thul; you are both expected and welcomed."

She smiled warmly.

"This way, please, my cousin, the duke is waiting."

Avaryss fell in step beside her. Beric walked to her right, clad in a black combat suit. For the purpose of this first meeting, Avaryss had decided that Beric would serve best; his years of Imperial protocol and training would be respected by their Thul allies. Holli could have served that purpose, but she lacked the spit and polish of Beric Lylos. Despite his skill in the cockpit, and with a blaster, Thranton Rink was a bit too insolent to suggest anything else.

No, Beric was the best choice; he was almost a poster boy for Imperial power.

Despite the whiteness outside, the Alderaani seemed to favor darker colors when it came to their dwelling. The walls were made of dark red stone, and halls dotted with fine artwork. In truth the place reminded her of the overseer's apartment back on _Butcher's Clearing_, the Zabrak Overseer Alaria had tried to present herself as more than a Sith serving out her duty in a festering swamp.

The wealth she surrounded herself with was a way to cope with difficult surroundings.

She found herself wondering if her host suffered from the same affliction.

Lord Feer's contact was Duke Kendoh Thul, of House Thul. The man had risen to be one of the most vocal supporters of the Sith Empire in the last few months. Though not the head of their house, he had performed well in serving Sith interests in the past year or so.

"The Duke is a political creature, apprentice, be warned," Warmaster Feore had informed her, "He does not offer his aid out of any sense of loyalty or gratitude, but rather out of a feeling of what the Empire can do for him."

"Perhaps he needs that thinking…_adjusted,"_ she had offered.

"Unwise," the old pure blood had answered with a frown, "Kendoh currently has the favor of several dark council members; they view him as a valuable resource. They would be most displeased with a Sith that _damaged_ him without permission."

And so, she was left with no other option but place nice with the noble.

Their escort brought them to a small Solar overlooking the mountain range to the north. Kendoh Thul stood with his back to them, his hands behind his back as he looked out over the snowy landscape. A slender wiry man with the dark skin and hair of House Thul, Kendoh radiated with both arrogance, and a base cunning.

"My Lord Duke," Elana Thul called out to him, "May I present the Sith Avaryss, apprentice to Darth Feer, Master of both the Zahn and Itae systems."

The Duke turned to face her, his eyes cold and evaluating, a smug sneer on his dark skinned face. He radiated with a hunger through the Force, a lust for not only greater power, but to bask in the fear and respect of others.

_To Duke Kendoh, she likely seemed like the perfect answer to slake that hunger._

_A shame, _Avaryss thought, _had this man been Force sensitive, he might have made an excellent Sith._

She said nothing of this of course, not wanting to provoke the noble; she still needed his help after all. It was said that his network of contacts on this world were second to none.

If he could not find Alde for her, it was likely that no one could.

"Ah, Sith, yes, come in please," he said gesturing grandly, "I've eagerly awaited your arrival. I am honored by your presence, of course."

Avaryss managed her most winning smile.

"I thank you for agreeing to this meeting, My Lord Duke," she said bowing her head slightly, "I was told of the beauty of your world, but clearly words could not do it justice."

The Alderaani smiled.

"You are too kind, Sith," he said smiling, his perfect white teeth shining in the artificial light. "I do hope that we can aid you in your mission. House Thul is always willing to aid the Empire."

He gestured for her sit, four comfortable chairs sat to the right of the room, centered on a large table; a tray of refreshments had been laid out for their meeting. The young woman, Elana filled two goblets with a generous helping of Alderaan wine. She waited offering one to Avaryss another to her cousin, the Duke.

The young Sith continued to smile.

She brought the glass to her lips, but did not drink. She reached out with the Force, and discovered that is was far stronger than the Alderaan wine she had sampled in the past.

_Interesting,_ Avaryss thought_, was the Duke simply being a generous host, or was he seeking to dull her senses before their work could truly begin._

She would need to test the waters to find out for sure.

"That is good to hear," she said as she took a seat across from him. She brought her goblet to her lips again, but did not drink, "I do hope that we can both find a measure of success in our endeavors. Speaking of which, I'm curious to find out what you have learned about Noldan Alde."

Her smile became more predatory.

"I do hope you have found something for us, for your sake."

Kendoh laughed dismissively, if he had heard her implied threat, he did not show it.

"I've begun looking into this matter for your master, but you must understand; my time is limited. I'm a busy man who has many followers depending on me."

Though she continued to smile, her eyes flashed with anger.

Did this little man think this as some kind of game? A Darth of the Empire had offered him his favor!

Was the man truly so arrogant to risk angering that Darth's apprentice?

"I understand how important men can be kept busy by their duties," she said with just a hint of sarcasm, "At the same time, I do hope that you understand just who it is you are dealing with. Darth Feer is not a man accustomed to having his interests treated as unimportant. It has often fallen to me to…correct such slights."

For the briefest of moments she felt a slight shift in the man, a crack in his confidence, or perhaps…arrogance. She felt fear, its sweet sensation filling both the Force and the room.

She eagerly drank it in, looking to push her advantage on this man who dared think himself an equal of one who was blessed by the power of the dark side.

It was at that moment that a panel on the far wall, slid open, and a new figure entered the room. Avaryss tensed slightly as the dark side bloomed from the new arrival filling the room like a blast of flame, or perhaps poison gas.

Avaryss' burning eyes narrowed.

She had not expected to find another Sith here.

She had assumed that Duke Kendoh had kept their business private.

Clearly, he had not.

The new arrival was not only tall but big. Large muscles bulged beneath the dark fabric of his robe. His broad shoulders filled the entry way, his head looked almost small on his thick neck.

He sneered down on her with golden eyes, eyes that were somehow…familiar?

"Pay this one no mind, my lord duke," the new Sith said coldly, "She is merely her master's Kath hound; she barks but will not bite, not without her master's leave."

The large Sith smiled coldly.

"Hello, Farm Girl," he said, "It has been some time."

The cold sarcasm in the man's voice struck her. It was both insulting and familiar. It took her a moment to recognize him; he had changed since they had last seen each other.

"Hezzan," she purred cruelly, "What an unpleasant surprise."

She gave him a cold smile.

"How are your hands, by the way?"

The other Sith scowled and raised his arms, two wicked looking robotic hands with sharp metallic claws extended from his elbows.

"They needed to be _amputated_, thanks to **you**," he said, his voice as hard as Mandalorean iron.

She only just resisted the desire to chuckle.

Hezzan may have had great strength, but he had been a fool during their academy days. He had dreamed of replacing the academy's top student, but lacked the gifts to actually do that. After the death of her lover, and her connection to the Force being nearly crippled by a botched interrogation, Hezzan had sought her out, to proof himself her better, even going so far as to taking her lover's cloak as proof of his superiority.

Avaryss had shown him just how weak he truly was. Seeing him wearing Fehl's cloak had been just the motivation she had needed to reconnect with the full power of the dark side, to find her fury again. She had crushed every bone in his hands when he dared try to strike a fatal blow against her, and had used his life energy to repair her own injured body. Had the overseers not stepped in, she might have just killed the fool for his presumption.

Perhaps she should have.

"You still have your life," she reminded him.

Her smile then turned as cold as space.

"For now," she said.

If the large Sith was intimidated he did not show it.

He laughed.

"Things have changed, Farm Girl," he spat, "I'm more than what I was. Lord Terrog has blessed me with new abilities, abilities far beyond anything that you could hope to match."

Avaryss nodded.

_Terrog again_, she thought.

_That does explain how big he has gotten since his days on Korriban._

Hezzan had always been large, but now…he was **monstrous**. She could only imagine what Darth Terrog had done to alter her fellow Sith.

"So you are the mysterious apprentice that Darth Terrog talked about?"

The male Sith winced.

"I am _**not **_his apprentice, not yet, but I will be soon enough. Returning in triumph from Alderaan is my final trial. Once I've defeated you, I may take might rightful place at my new master's side."

Avaryss put down her wine goblet and stood up, she tried to stand eye to eye with her rival, but even having reached her full height, she barely came up to his neck.

He grinned down at her, eager to see her make one fatal misstep. Her hand drifted down towards her lightsaber.

It was in that moment that she stopped.

In the back of her mind she heard a long dead Jedi Padawan's voice, one that still haunted her to this day.

"It does not take much to get the Sith fighting each other."

He was not wrong, she thought, her history with Hezzan was almost enough to see them come to blows. Any fighting between her and her fellow Sith right now was a mistake.

They had real external enemies, the Republic and Jedi Order.

As a Sith, she should be focused on that.

Could she defeat Hezzan, probably, even with his enhancements, he remained the same arrogant fool he always was, but in doing so she risked alienating Duke Kendoh, and that was something that she could not do, not yet.

She frowned and stood down.

There would be another time to deal with Terrog's errand boy.

Right now, she had a much larger fish to fry.

"My friends please," Kendoh said stepping between them, "there is no reason for violence here. I'm certain that we can find a way to make all parties here happy."

Avaryss glared at the duke.

Clearly the fool thought it in his best interest to play Lords Feer and Terrog against each other. She was not sure how Terrog learned of her coming to Alderaan, but she did not care either.

His henchman was here, she would need to deal with him, when the time was right.

She gave Kendoh her most winning smiling.

"You are right, my lord duke," she said, "There is no need for violence."

She gave Hezzan her most venomously sweet smile.

"We are all friends here…after all."

"Excellent," he said clasping his hands, "I extend my hospitality to you both. We shall discuss matters further over dinner, in the meantime, please make yourselves at home."

Avaryss nodded, as did Hezzan, through the Force it was clear that he was no happier about this arrangement than she was, there was too much history here for either to be willing to play nice with the other.

_We are on a collision course now_, she realized, _no matter what the Duke may say, Hezzan cannot leave here until I'm dead, and I do not dare risk leaving without ending him for the same reason. If I was to simply flee he would likely turn up where I least expect it, and that is not acceptable._

No, she would need to deal with this matter sooner rather than later. They would not be under the duke's roof forever.

An opportunity would present itself, she was sure.

The Duke's cousin Elana offered to show her to a place where she could freshen up before dinner, it had been a long journey, and Avaryss found she was not opposed to that.

Avaryss said nothing as she made her way down the hall, part of her wanted to climb back aboard her ship and go seeking aid at the main Thul compound near the capital city.

She could not do that of course, if she left now, then Duke Kendoh was certain to give what he had learned about Noldan Alde to Hezzan.

She could not have that.

"Have you ever seen anything like this Sith?"

Avaryss blinked.

She had been so lost in her own dark thoughts and fantasies of destroying Hezzan she had barely noticed the noble woman at her side.

Elana Thul smiled.

"We found that piece a few years ago," she said gesturing to an old stone statue, "It was discovered in a long abandoned section of the Elysium, a Sith statue we believe, proof that the Empire did have contact with us even before the great Hyperspace war."

The Sith regarded the statue. It did have…some similarities with the statues she remembered on Korriban.

Why the noble thought that mattered right now was beyond her, but she was willing to play the enlightened guest.

"Interesting," she said, her voice flat and cold.

She had no desire to discuss art; she wanted to find Noldan Alde.

"And this is also interesting, the lady said gesturing for her to follow, see the scroll work at the base of the statue?"

Avaryss rolled her eyes and followed.

Be a polite guest, she thought to herself.

The duke might be testing her.

She followed the girl closer to the statue, as soon as they were close enough to touch it, the girl's voice changed, gone was the eager young girl trying to impress the powerful Sith. It turned colder, harder, and more commanding.

"Pretend like we are still discussing the statue," she advised, "My cousin has cameras in this hallway, but no microphones."

Elana smiled cruelly.

"We can speak plainly."

Avaryss sneered.

"And just what are we supposed to be speaking plainly about?"

"Noldan Alde," the young girl said, "My cousin is a fool, Sith, and he does not understand the consequences of the games he is playing. I would rather not suffer the same fate that he does when that happens. Nod if you agree?"

Avaryss could not deny the girl's take on the situation; she nodded as the girl pointed at a section of the statue.

"I can help you get to Noldan Alde," she promised, "My price would be minimal, and you would find me are far more grateful ally than poor misguided Kendoh.

Avaryss chuckled.

Once again, proof that the dark side was in ascendance here, power plays, betrayal, and a willingness to sell out one's own blood for the greater good.

A shiver of excitement ran down the young Sith's spine.

Perhaps when this world was conquered, she would have a palace built here.

So far, she liked what she both saw and felt.

She grinned.

"Keep talking," she informed the bright young woman.

"I'm listening."


	24. Favors

**Chapter 24: Favors**

The night wind blew the tall grass on the open plain. Avaryss leaned against the borrowed speeder while Rink sat behind the wheel, ready to take off at a moment's notice.

He is worried, the young Sith realized, they had been here almost an hour and no sign of their contact, this was starting to look more and more like a set-up, perhaps the Lady Elana had lied to them.

Avaryss' eyes narrowed.

If she **had** lied, she would find out just how monumentally stupid a move that was, her cousin was protected by his Sith contacts, the same protection did not extend to her.

Anyone who willingly angered a Sith was taking their life into their own hands.

Such people did not usually live very long.

She resisted the urge to start pacing, instead she took a deep breath, and let it out slowly, her eyes went to the night sky, seeing stars so different from the worlds she had seen in the last few years.

There is something about Alderaan, she thought, a quiet hum that seemed to fill the Force itself. Though she had been here only a short period of time, she was starting to understand why the locals were so protective of this place. It had a rhythm all its own. The Force sang differently here, but different was not necessarily bad.

I could see myself living here, she thought, once I become a lord, I should really see about building a palace here, after it has been properly subjugated of course.

From his place in the speeder Rink looked around nervously. Unlike her, he did not see the appeal of this place. She suspected it was because he grew up on Nar Shadda. He was not conditioned for a place of simplicity, being surrounded by growing things made him nervous.

"I don't like this, boss," she heard him say, "I have a bad feeling about this."

Avaryss smirked.

"Are _**you**_ worried about my safety, Mister Rink, I'm touched," she said with mock innocence.

"Of course I'm concerned," he admitted, "You're my meal ticket after all, Beric and Holli's too."

The young man frowned.

"What happens to us if something happens to you?"

"Beric would see you safely home, I'm sure," she said.

"Yeah, but without you, it is not like we will get what you promised out of your master. He might even blame us if something goes wrong."

Avaryss chuckled.

"All the more reason to keep me alive then. I'm a woman of my word, Mister Rink. You continue to serve me well, and all your dreams will come true, such is my generosity."

"Good to know," he said leaning back in his seat, his hands behind the back of his head.

"What do you think is keeping the lady's friend?"

"Hard to say," She replied, "Lady Thul did say we should be patient, these people consider the Empire as enemies."

A thought occurred to her, she reached out with the Force, seeking danger, but finding none. So no ambush then, I suppose we should be grateful for that, at least.

She took another deep breath, and crossed her arms over her chest.

_Where were they?_

Perhaps she had put too much faith in the young lady of House Thul.

She had made a good case for herself, but that was all it was…

Perhaps this had all been some game of Duke Kendoh's.

Perhaps she had made a serious mistake.

IOI

They had spent almost an hour talking in the hall, going from statue to statue. If the Lady Elana was to be believed the Duke's cameras would only see the two women discussing the artwork he had collected.

If he watched the recording later, he might be a little suspicious, but he would find no evidence that anything amiss had happened. The only other people close by were Beric and Elana's two bodyguards, and they were loyal to her and only her or so the noble had said.

Avaryss hoped she was right.

"My cousin has been playing your people off against each other for months," Elana Thul explained, "One of you comes to him with a problem, and almost immediately a rival Sith contacts him making a better offer."

The noble shook her head.

"He aids only those that reward him the most, and because of what he has done in the past, none of the Sith that have come out on the losing side dare seek to see him punished for that."

Avaryss nodded.

"And what has Terrog offered the duke for his…aid?"

"Sith Acolytes to protect him, and deal with his enemies, when the time comes, the dark lord hinted that the servants he would send would be far beyond normal Sith. He promised that they would be able to do things that their fellows could not. Do you know what he might have meant by that?"

Avaryss had her suspicions, she had seen Shyra Viel after all, the girl was not only monstrous, but extremely strong in the Force, if Terrog could enhance common acolytes in a similar way…?

"Terrog's weapons are many," she admitted.

I suspect that is why Kendoh chose him over your master. That…and He thinks he is safe from retaliation because of his allies within the Empire."

_That was part of it_, Avaryss suspected; _the rest was likely that no Sith wanted to admit that they had been shown up by some Alderaani noble. Their fellows in the order would see that as weakness, inviting even __**more **__challengers._

She sighed.

It **was** a good scheme, but it had one _**major**_ drawback.

Some Sith had hotter tempers than others.

"Your cousin must be very lucky," Avaryss said pretending to inspect a frieze that the woman had shown her.

"Not all Sith are as forgiving as I am."

"It is only a matter of time," the noble agreed, "Kendoh was off world when the Sith came during the war. He does not seem to grasp what your people are capable of doing to an enemy. I was only a girl when the war came, but I still remember what the Sith war machine can do. I would spare myself that, and my family, if I can. Eventually, my lord cousin will lie to the wrong Sith and they will not care who owes him what."

She shook her head.

"I joined with him to secure a place of power for myself, not die with him when he enrages the wrong person."

She smiled at Avaryss.

"I think you may be just the person that I've been waiting for."

"Why me," Avaryss asked.

"I'm good at reading between the lines, what my cousin agents found out about you is that you don't use violence as your first resort. You are capable of it, but that you are a thinker, and willing to find more subtle ways to advance."

"You and I have similar styles of doing things. I think we should mesh well."

"Perhaps," Avaryss said, "Where is Noldan Alde?"

"Not with his family, that is for sure," Elana informed her, "I have a few contacts of my own, and unknown to my cousin, I began making my own inquiries into where he might be hiding."

"Have you discovered anything?"

"Only that he has retired to a secure location, protected by allies of his family."

Elana sighed.

"As I said, my contacts are limited, but I do have an idea that might just help you find him."

"I'm willing to listen," Avaryss said, "If your information proves useful you will find me a most grateful and generous ally."

"That is what I hope," the noble said bowing slightly, "Tell me Sith, what do you know of the political situation on Alderaan right now?"

"I know there is tension," she replied, "I know that your throne is currently having succession issues."

"That is the biggest part of it, yes. Right now, House Ulgo has the most power among the noble families, not enough to seize the throne, but they are moving in that direction. They have used their contacts in the Republic Senate to limit the other houses options, using their pet senators to pass laws and issue injunctions to block any kind of off world aid that could be used to oust House Ulgo from power. Some of the houses have complained, House Organa chief among them, but so far any pleas to the Senate have fallen on deaf ears. The Jedi may have intervened once, but they are still rebuilding after the last war, and have other interests right now. They have no time for complaints from one of Alderaan's noble families, no matter how high placed that family might be."

"Has your House tried to stop them yet? House Ulgo, I mean," Avaryss inquired, "House Thul does enjoy Imperial backing; we could supply what you needed to stake your own claim to the throne."

"My father will not do that," Elana said bitterly.

"Your father?"

"I'm the third born child of Duke Horis Thul. He speaks for our family, unfortunately, since our return to Alderaan; he has tried to distance us from our old Imperial allies. He had no problem accepting your help when we were desperate and homeless, but now he is focused entirely on rebuilding our relationships with the other houses, he thinks nothing of the Sith, in fact he would rather forget you aided us entirely. My older brother and sister both follow his lead.

"Unwise," Avaryss said with a frown, "Is that why you are here working with Kendoh?"

"Yes, he at least understands how much our house **needs** the Empire. We could begin a new dynasty, and when the Empire conquers the Republic, we will already be in place to make a peaceful and quick transition of power. The Empire would find House Thul valuable allies."

Avaryss nodded.

She could see the value in that.

"And what of your father, does he understand what will happen?"

He does not," Elana admitted morosely, "I love my father, but his policies are foolish. There are too many opportunists in our family; Kendoh is only one of them. It is only a matter of time until someone seeks outside aid to…_retire_ my father."

'And so you hope to beat them to the punch?"

"That was my plan. I do not wish to see my father, or my siblings, harmed. If I was to claim my father's seat, I would be able to shield both him and them from harm."

Elana Thul sighed.

"Do you know what that is like Sith, that desire to protect your family?"

Avaryss frowned. She did not need to look over at Beric to know he was frowning as well. What had happened to **their** family had become the Rancor in the room every time they spoke. So far he had remained patient, but how long would it be until that patience finally ran out?

"I understand," she said nodding, I know what it is like to lose people because of the schemes of others. To lose those that I love…"

She gave the Alderaani a slight smile.

"I would spare you that pain. Help me in this endeavor, and I will speak with my master on your behalf. I can see that you rise faster than you would normally, even give you a chance to help your family, provided you can help me find Noldan Alde, of course."

"Of course," the noble said smiling.

"You said you had a plan, yes?" Avaryss said turning her attention back to the frieze. "What is it? How do you think I might find Noldan Alde?"

"As I said, he is being well hidden; House Alde couldn't arrange that on their own. They would have needed House Organa's help."

The noble's smile broadened.

"Fortunately, I happen to know at least one member of House Organa that may be open to providing us with his whereabouts, if we can make it worth her while."

Avaryss nodded.

"I will need some excuse to leave this estate," she said, "I would not wish to rouse either Kendoh or my fellow Sith's attention.

"That can be arranged," the noble promised, "We can make it look like you needed to take your ship into the city. My allies here can arrange that, while my cousin thinks you are stuck in the city, I will set up a meeting between you and House Organa, it shouldn't take long."

Avaryss gave her a cold smile.

"Isn't House Organa your sworn enemy? Won't the Duke wonder why you contacted them?"

"The nobles of Alderaan are a very singular group, Sith. Despite our Imperial connections. the past deeds and old favors we were owed still bind almost every noble house to each other. It is not unusual for one of us to talk to our rivals, not with House Ulgo so close to securing the throne."

Avaryss's smile turned sly.

She was starting to like this one.

_Deceit, cunning, and yet driven by a desire for the betterment of something more than herself. It was a state of mind that Avaryss knew well; after all, she shared similar views._

Yes, she thought, this one would make a far finer ally then Kendoh, and if we can move quickly, we might just ensure that when her father falls that she will take his place. A House Thul unified behind the Empire would be far more valuable than one dragging its feet out of fear, or a sense of ancient tradition.

Yes, she _could _work with this.

The Empire **could** work with this.

"Send word to your contact; arrange the meeting as soon as possible. Time is of the essence."

"It will be done," Elana Thul promised, bowing slightly.

"It will not take long. House Organa is more desperate then they let on."

The lady chuckled.

"I can just imagine the faces they will make when they realize that it is a Sith that wants to meet with them. It would be most amusing."

Avaryss chuckled.

"War makes for strange bedfellows," she said.

We will see just how desperate for aid House Organa is."

"If my agents are to be believed, very," Elana replied.

Avaryss sneered.

Desperation could be dangerous when found in an ally, but if one played their cards right, they just might be able to turn it to their advantage.

Lord Feer controlled two full star systems if he had nothing the Organa wanted; she would be **very **surprised.

They would deal, they had to, she thought.

She would have Noldan Alde...

…One way…or the other.

IOI

They had been waiting about twenty minutes when the speeder finally arrived.

Avaryss smiled as it approached and stepped between her own speeder and the new arrival. From his place at the controls Rink was ready to take off if she needed him to. The young Sith's hand remained close to her lightsaber, just I case. The Organa speeder only had a driver, a handsome young man to be sure, clad in the vestments of Alderaani nobility.

As his vehicle stopped he flashed the lights in the pattern that Elana Thul had described, identifying himself as her escort.

Rink responded in kind, blinking their lights to inform the man that Avaryss was the one who had requested a meeting.

The Alderaani shut down his engines; he stood up in his seat and met her gaze.

"You are the Sith, yes?" he called out.

"I am," Avaryss replied, an amused smile on her face.

Her escort nodded.

"In the name of House Organa," he called out, "I offer you our hospitality and protection. As long as you remain our guest you will be protected and welcomed at our table."

"And in the name of House Feer and the Sith Empire," she replied, "I accept your offer, and swear to do no harm to my hosts or their holdings. So I swear."

Avaryss found the whole thing amusing, but it was part of Alderaani tradition. By accepting the offer of guests' right, as she had, she could enter House Organa without fear.

"Your driver can remain here," he said, "We can have you back about mid-morning. You will also have to surrender your laser sword, Sith, as sign of good faith."

Avaryss nodded and took her lightsaber from her belt; she approached the Alderaani's speeder, and handed it to him, bottom of the hilt first.

A minor loss, she knew, if these people knew all the ways she could kill with the Force they would not have bothered taking her weapon.

Oh well, what they didn't know could kill them, if they decided to play her false.

She climbed into the speeder without another word. Her escort brought his vehicle around and headed back the way he had come.

Avaryss watched in the rear view as Rink and his speeder shrunk into the distance. Some people might have called her foolish for doing this, but she had few options.

She had to find Noldan Alde before Hezzan.

The Organa were her best lead.

She said nothing to the driver and he said nothing to her. Their path took them away from the rolling plains and towards the forests in the north.

Avaryss remained deep in the Force as they made their way. Her senses were hyper aware, looking for any sign of a trap. She could sense the disdain of her driver, he did not think highly of the Sith that much was clear.

Avaryss ignored him, what did it matter what this servant thought? All that mattered was what his masters' thought, and that they were willing to trade the location of her prey to her.

Beyond that, she could care less what they thought of her.

The speeder made its way into a large clearing in the middle of the forest. It was here that a small villa had been built. Guards in Alderaani security uniforms walked the perimeter. Several nodded to their driver as they passed.

He brought the speeder to a stop by the entrance. He leapt out and hurried around to open the door for her. She smiled and nodded in gratitude.

Never let it be said that Andur and Mya Lylos raised a barbarian. She had been taught how to behave around the wealthy and powerful.

She might have preferred battle to etiquette, but that did not mean she was any less skilled at the latter as she was at the former.

Her mother had taught her well.

As they stepped through the door, they passed through another weapon's scanner. The security here surprised her, she had heard that these people were pacifists, or had been before the Sith Empire's return years ago.

"My lady," the driver called out, "Your guest has arrived."

"Thank you, Blanks," a cultured, yet hard, female voice, replied.

Avaryss smiled and bowed slightly.

"Lady Organa, I presume?"

The noble woman sniffed.

Clearly she did not see herself much as a lady.

Unlike Lady Thul, this one did not dress the part of a high noble. She wore a simple black pants suit, Her long chestnut brown hair pulled back into a braid that was pinned up to the back of her head. The woman might have been considered beautiful if not for the hardness in her expression, and the way she felt through the Force.

This one has no use for finery, she has a mission.

Avaryss smiled.

She could relate.

"I am Giselle Organa," the noble replied, "I've heard that you had business with our family, Sith. I'm wondering just what that might mean?"

A simple matter, you ladyship," Avaryss replied, "You have some information that I require, and I'm prepared to pay handsomely to learn just what you might know."

"Information," Lady Organa said, "What kind of information?"

"The location of a man that I wish to question. Noldan Alde."

Avaryss smiled gamely.

"I was hoping that you could help me out. Let me know where the man might be?"

She tried her best to appear non-threatening, to project only a sense of power, and a willingness to share it.

"As I said, I'm willing to reward whoever tells what I need, it will be a most handsome reward, I can promise you that."

The Alderaani nodded. Avaryss doubted that she had a mercenary nature, but was willing to bet the woman knew an opportunity when she heard it.

Hopefully, she would be smart enough to take advantage.

Lady Giselle smiled.

"I was just about to break my fast," she said, "Would you care to join me, Sith? Our cook does set an excellent table?"

"I would be delighted," Avaryss said, "I've heard only good things about Alderaani cuisine, I'm most curious to experience it for myself."

"Excellent," the noble said, "We shall dine on the balcony; from there we can discuss our business free of distraction and prying eyes."

The noble turned a demure looking dark haired serving girl behind her.

"Jaesa fetch some wine and pastries for our guest."

"At once mistress," the girl said in a soft voice. She turned and made her way towards what Avaryss could only assume was the kitchens.

The Sith smiled.

Interesting she thought.

Since first stepping through the door here, she had sensed something. It was a..._tremor_ in the Force, unchecked and undisciplined, untrained perhaps.

She smiled at her new host; lady Organa clearly did not sense anything amiss.

So much the better, Avaryss thought.

She had come here seeking Noldan Alde, and found something else, something better perhaps.

_The serving girl,_ she thought, _she is strong in the Force!_

She allowed Lady Giselle to lead her towards where they were to dine.

She said nothing of what she had sensed. Why risk giving up the game?

She smiled slightly.

Interesting…, she thought to herself.

…Most interesting indeed.


	25. A Deal

**Chapter 25: A Deal**

"I must confess; this meeting is not going the way that I thought it would."

Avaryss laughed, she paused a piece of sweet bread only a few breaths from her mouth.

"And how should this meeting have gone, Lady Gisselle? How would you expect it to have gone?"

"Threats," the noble admitted with a hint of a scowl, "I expected both veiled and direct threats, both to my family and my world."

She sighed.

"The last time the Sith came here it was not as friends but as conquerors. We endured, but it was a very near thing. Know this Sith, no matter what happens, Alderaan will _**always**_ endure."

Avaryss smiled.

"I can be threatening when I wish to be, Lady Giselle. Threats have their place and their uses, but they are not the only weapon in a Sith's arsenal. We can be generous when we want, even aid others when it suits are purposes."

Avaryss popped the food into her mouth. She savored the taste, leaning back contentedly, when it was gone, she smiled again.

"Today it suits our purpose, so tell me Lady Gisselle of House Organa, what can the Empire do for you?"

The woman did not respond quickly, Avaryss would not have trusted her if she did.

_We are just playing sabacc now_, she thought.

_Now it remains to be seen who has the best hand._

The two women were sitting on a balcony overlooking a woodland stream, though the sun had only just began to come up, the birds were already singing. Small furry animals raced from tree to tree, chasing each other over fallen fruit and nuts.

A lovely image, and in the end proof of why the dark side would win in the end, nature _**was **_conflict, and if the dark side invited nothing else, it invited conflict.

The dark haired girl Jaesa refilled her goblet, while at the same time offering her some tart smelling liquid in a small glass, a fruit juice of some type.

Avaryss accepted it with a gentle nod, but at the same time reached out with the Force and touched the serving girl's mind.

What she had seen…surprised her.

During this lovely meal, she had thought of offering the girl a place on her ship, a place and a chance to explore her true potential. A Force sensitive deserved more than the life of a common handmaiden, following around some entitled and pampered noble.

She could sense the young woman's emotions, but they were muted, held in check by years of self-denial, as a servant this…Jaesa was not entitled to have what her mistress possessed, no doubt she had been taught to accept that, that lesson had likely been drilled into her over and over again for years.

It was no wonder that her emotions were so…stunted.

Avaryss could sense fear in the girl, fear of the Sith of what Avaryss might do if provoked. No doubt the girl had heard stories, but under that sense of fear there was something else, something far more interesting, and more valuable.

Avaryss sensed resentment, pure and unrelenting resentment.

She felt resentment towards her lady, towards the nobles, even towards Alderaan itself.

Such resentment could be most useful, it could grow into hate if properly nurtured, hate that strong could be most useful, and could make a young Sith very powerful.

Avaryss tried to keep her interest hidden, but she occasionally caught the girl giving her looks, and she might have been wrong, but she caught the Lady shooting her glances as well, the girl would nod, and her conversation with Avaryss would continue.

_What was this now?_ The young Sith wondered.

Did the girl have some control over her abilities? Did the lady know she had them? It seemed unlikely; the girl did not act like someone in full control of the Force.

If she was she would never broadcast her emotions so freely. She might have well wore that resentment on her sleeve.

It was most interesting.

The girl masked it well, but she could not hide it entirely, not from someone who knew what to look for.

Avaryss smiled.

The girl resented her mistress, they may have been raised together, maybe even have played together as children, but they were not equals, the girl Jaesa knew that.

That realization had defined who she was; it was a part of her. That resentment had left cracks in the walls of her sense of self-control. All she would need was a little push, and a whole new world would open to her.

The Sith could give her that push, pluck out the pain, and offer her a life beyond any that she might have imagined.

It would be…a life of wonder!

As Avaryss considered doing just that, she caught a swirling glimpse of the girl through the Force. One moment she was a powerful Sith, her face and hands stained with the blood of her enemies, laughing as she used a double bladed lightsaber to carve them up, and the next, she was a grey Sith, using her powers to change the Empire for what she thought was for the better.

As if a grey Sith could ever accomplish that? The Emperor's minions would cut her down long before she had the chance to do anything so important.

It would be a waste; she would be better off becoming the ruthless killer that Avaryss had seen. She would be far better off.

The dark side rewarded those that took what they wanted, and that girl, the one who had given herself completely to the dark side knew how to take what she wanted.

It would be a better future for her, in the long run.

Yet as she looked into the Force, as she explored the possible futures, Avaryss could not see herself in any of them. It seemed that the Force had other plans for the girl, plans that did not involve her, or Darth Feer.

Annoying, Avaryss thought, I discovered her, her power should be mine to guide, and to mold.

Yet, that future remained distant; the girl's destiny would take her down a different road. As Avaryss tried to follow it to its source, her own sense of self faded.

The realization was not a pleasant one.

This one is not for me, she finally accepted begrudgingly, I'm not yet ready to guide her, and even if I was, the dark side has other plans it seems, she could sense it.

A shame to give up something so powerful, but necessary, the girl's future was bound to the Sith, she was certain of that, she simply did not have a part in it, not now, if ever.

Annoying, she thought, but so be it.

The dark side's will be done.

She turned her attention back to Gisselle Organa, and finding her prize.

In this, she could succeed.

Gisselle watched her carefully, evaluating her offer, no doubt considering what it was that the Sith might be able to offer Alderaan.

"Why are you looking for Noldan Alde?" she asked.

"I have some questions for him," the Sith replied.

"And will he survive those questions?"

Avaryss gave the noble a sly smile.

"That is entirely up to him. He has become…involved in something, milady. The empire has suffered several attacks recently."

"And you believe he is involved in these attacks?"

Avaryss frowned; she was unsure how much she should say about all this.

It was best to keep it both short and sweet.

"He is either involved or knows someone who is. Either way, I need to speak with him. As long as he tells me what I want to know, he is in no danger."

Organa sat back, again that slight look passed between her and her handmaiden.

Again the girl Jaesa nodded.

Avaryss felt a smile tug at her lips.

So, the noble did know about the girl's abilities, the girl was using the Force to seek…what? Deception? She would find none, not here.

The young Sith did not care if Noldan Alde lived or died, as long as he pointed her in the right direction.

"House Alde is an ally of House Organa," Lady Gisselle said, "It would not be proper to turn a member of their family over to the Sith."

"Even if that family member brought Sith anger down upon Alderaan?" Avaryss said with a sniff, "As I told you earlier, my lady. We have no interest in Alderaan at this time. A single one of your nobles is involved in acts of aggression against the Empire. I would see him punished, if not we may have to turn our attention to the rest of you. Perhaps you should start thinking of your family's future."

A cold smile came to Alderaani's face.

"And **there** is the threat I expected."

"It is not a threat, it is a simple observation. One life versus the lives and safety of billions, is that not a good deal? I'm prepared to offer you what you need to stake a claim for the Alderaanian throne, either for yourself or another member of your family."

Avaryss shrugged.

"The choice is yours, milady."

The noble nodded, she sat back in her chair; Avaryss could almost imagine the wheels turning in the intense young woman's head.

"House Ulgo currently controls the bulk of our defense force. They have made sure that no other voice but theirs is heard by the Republic Senate."

"If you need soldiers," Avaryss said in a silky voice, "We can provide them."

Gisselle wrinkled her nose in distaste.

"I'm not a Thul, Sith. Organa is a powerful house, we have supporters and young men and women willing to defend our world. We do not need to hire mercenaries. We have the people, just not the tools."

Avaryss grinned.

An idea formed in that instance, a realization that was both delicious and mutually beneficial, in fact, she liked the symmetry of it.

"You need weapons, armor, perhaps even a few military grade shield generators?'

"Those would be useful," the noble agreed.

Avaryss' smile widened.

"Then you are in luck. As I told you, I've been investigating a matter of security for the Empire, during the course of that investigation; I've turned up a shipment of military grade weapons, blasters detonators, shields. They were meant to destabilize Sith interests, but I see no reason that they could not be turned over to someone with a…higher purpose."

The noble blinked.

"You would turn these weapons over to us?"

"They do not belong to the Sith," Avaryss said with a shrug, "As I said, someone intended to use them to destabilize our interests. I just want them out of our system. If they can be turned to aid the Empire, I'm more than happy to see that they find their way into hands of those that will not use them against us."

Gisselle Organa's expression remained bland, but through the Force, the woman was afire with both curiosity and excitement. No doubt imagining what a ship load of military grade hardware could do for her family, and their desires to secure the throne of this world."

Avaryss tried not to appear too eager. She could sense the woman's desire, but if she seemed too eager to deal, the woman might back away, she did not want that.

"And you would give us these weapons? For the location of Noldan Alde you would turn these weapons over to us?"

Avaryss laughed dismissively.

"That would be a great deal, wouldn't it?" she admitted. "We would of course need reimbursement for the fuel used to bring the weapons here. A few credits to make sure that all the right people stay quiet about all this. If you can promise those things, and the location of Noldan Alde, yes, I believe we can do business. Does that deal appeal to you, milady?"

"Hm," the noble murmured, she rubbed her chin thoughtfully. Avaryss could sense the conflict within her. Giselle Organa viewed the Sith as enemies, no doubt she was trying to find some reason to say: no. AT the same time though, she knew what those weapons represented, a chance to put the right people on the Alderaani throne.

It was an offer not easy to turn down.

"Won't your people be angry with you?" the noble asked, "Technically you would be arming an ally of the Republic? Some Sith might consider that treasonous?"

"The advantage of having a high placed master is that they can explain away much to the dark council and the military."

Avaryss grinned.

"Your concern for my well-being is touching, but unnecessary. I will survive this deal, I assure you."

Gisselle smiled slightly.

"I will need to inspect the weapons, make sure they are everything you promised?"

"Inspect away," Avaryss shrugged, "If you have access to a hyper-comm here, I can get the weapons on their way here. You can make any preparations you like for their arrival; after all, they will be yours."

Avaryss laughed dismissively.

"I am a woman of my word."

"I do have a hyper-comm here," the lady said, "We shall go together and make the arrangements, if everything goes as planned, I will contact one of my allies in House Alde, they will know where Noldan Alde is."

"Excellent," Avaryss exclaimed, "then we have a deal?"

She held out her hand.

Again, she felt that brief sense of revulsion from the noble. She would never view this arrangement as a sign of peace between her house and the Empire, but that was fine.

Peace was a lie, there was only passion.

Gisselle Organa was doing this for her family; she could care less about the Empire. She was willing to sacrifice Noldan Alde for that future. Avaryss had no problem letting her do just that.

Organa, Thul, Ulgo, she was starting to think that all these royal houses were more alike than they were different. They all sought power, and the means to wield it.

Let them tear themselves apart fighting over their planetary throne. It would only serve the Empire when they finally did return to claim this world. Whoever survived would need to negotiate with the Sith. On that day it would not matter who was sitting on the throne.

"Deal," Gisselle Organa said taking her hand, the two women shook on it.

"This way Sith," Lady Gisselle said rising, "the hyper-comm is upstairs, we will start making the calls we need to set this up."

"After you, milady," Avaryss said. "I'm sure you will find that everything is in its proper order, and when it is, you will tell me where to find Noldan Alde."

"That is the deal, Sith. I offer you this for the safety of my world, and for the location of a rebellious Alde."

She frowned slightly.

"Do remember that House Alde is an ally of Organa, try and exercise restraint in your questioning."

"Of course," Avaryss said with a smirk, "As long as he tells me what I need to know, I will see him safely back to you."

In how many pieces, she could not say, she thought to herself.

A giggle nearly escaped her throat.

He was still guilty of conspiring against the Empire; a person had to answer for that.

Avaryss looked forward to teaching this Alde exactly what that meant.

One piece…at a time.

IOI

Her driver returned her to where she had left Rink a few hours before. She arrived to find a second speeder waiting. This one was carrying Beric and Holli.

She blinked.

What was this now?

"She nodded thanks to the Alderaani Blanks and leapt from his speeder. Her brother approached her, his expression grim.

"The ship was attacked at the city spaceport," her brother informed her.

Avaryss scowled.

"Is it still space worthy?"

"It is," Holli assured her, "It is locked down though, until the investigation is complete. The attackers were dressed in Alderaani clothing; we thought you might have walked into a trap. Lieutenant Lylos was worried about you, my lord."

Avaryss smiled at her brother.

"I thank you both for your concern, but it is unnecessary."

"Never the less," he said in his soldier's voice, "I'm glad to see you safe, my lord."

"What of the attackers, do we know who they were?"

"City security is investigating, but from their equipment and weapons, I would say they were mercenaries, likely off-worlders."

"Could be anyone then," Avaryss frowned, "Hezzan, Duke Kendoh, could even be House Ulgo, unhappy that we were talking with the Organa."

She smiled cruelly.

"Not that it matters now, we have the location of Noldan Alde, we should deal with the matter quickly, before Hezzan or Duke Kendoh can arrange any more surprises for us."

She glanced at her three crew mates. They all looked grim; Holli and Beric both wore armored vests, blaster pistols at their sides, and carbines on their backs. Rink had his blaster pistol as well, looking as ready for a fight as she had ever seen him.

Good she thought.

She was tired of playing the moving target.

She was eager to finally make her own moves. Noldan Alde was hiding in a stronghold owned by the noble house of Rist, and protected by their security people.

According to Gisselle, House Rist trained the greatest assassins on Alderaan; their knives had been influencing Alderaan's politics for generations. Breaking into such a place would not be easy. It would be a fight the whole way.

Avaryss looked forward to it.

It did not matter how skilled these Rist people were.

_There feeble skills would be no match for the full power of the dark side._

Politics were nice, she did not mind talking, but sometimes a girl just had to get her blade bloody.

She welcomed the chance to do just that.

She would cut through their defenses. Any that dared stand in her way would meet a quick and painful end, and when she found Noldan Alde he would tell her everything. How much was left of him at the end of that conversation would be entirely up to him.

He was her first direct link to the conspiracy.

He would talk.

In the end, everyone did.


	26. The Contract

**Chapter 26: The Contract**

"Set target one," Avaryss said coldly as she stared through the macro-noculars.

She smiled slightly.

"Fire."

In the distance there was a trail of smoke and then, in the compound below the shuttle sitting on the small landing pad vanished in a ball of flame and a flash of light.

Even from her distant perch, she could hear the explosion, the distance wail of sirens.

"Set target two, now…fire."

Another plume of smoke, and with it the speeder bikes waiting near the compound followed the shuttle into destruction, the first exploded and one by one the others kept it company, vanishing in flashes of orange flame.

_**BA-DOOM!**_

_**BA-DOOM!**_

_**BA-DOOM!**_

Avaryss nodded, pleased with herself.

_The first step is done_, she thought heading for her speeder; Rink sat behind the wheel, waiting for her orders.

_Now…onto the next one._

Lady Gisselle's contacts had come through in a big way; it had taken her almost no time at all to find out where House Rist was hiding Noldan Alde. She probably could have gotten the information herself, but likely would have had to have culled House Alde until she found someone within it willing to talk.

Using House Organa had been faster, and now she was on the cusp of seizing the Alderaani by the throat.

Her heart pounded, she felt giddy, like a child waking on the morning of some grand feast day.

Now, she thought with a hungry smile.

It was time to have some fun!

IOI

Hours earlier they had stood on a small wooded hill not far from the compound. It was here that they came up with their plan of attack. They had spent the bulk of the day preparing, not wishing to take any chances. House Rist's reputation it seemed was well earned. The security net that they had established around their compound was quite extensive. Once again Avaryss found herself happy to have brought her brother along. His military training served her well in locating the assassins' security measures.

"They are good," her brother admitted after a brief recon of the compound's surrounding area, "But their security is not perfect.

He gestured to various points on the map.

We have exploits we can use; here, here and here."

He grinned.

"It will be a bit of a jump, but I think we can breach this place, and once we're inside…"

"They will be too busy fighting for their lives to worry about whatever measures they set up to protect themselves," Avaryss said with a sneer.

She hated to admit it, but their Alderaani friends had come through, it would not be long at all until Noldan Alde found his way into their hands.

Organa had provided the location, a small estate nestled in the northern mountain range. Elana Thul once again proved her value by finding not only a map, but detailed floor plan for the estate. The map included all the changes that House Rist had made to the place in the last twenty years or so. The lower levels had been expanded, and a bolt hole added, an escape route that emptied out in the mountains.

"There will be no escape," Beric had promised her; I will have that exit buttoned up before we begin our attack."

"Excellent," Avaryss said nodding, "And what of the defenders, how many enemies are we looking at here?"

"At least thirty, my lord," Holli said with a frown, she had been watching the comings and goings since they had arrived. For hours she had watched and counted, Holli claimed to have an excellent memory.

She claimed to have seen at least thirty different faces.

It did not leave her in best of spirits.

'We are outnumbered at least six to one."

"That will not be a problem," Beric said, "Those extra men will have plenty to worry about when the attack begins in earnest."

He grinned coldly.

"We will have to hit them hard and fast, take out all means of escape," he added, "We don't want the mark slipping out the back while we are engaging the remaining defenders."

"You deal with the bolt hole, lieutenant," Avaryss said, "Let us deal with the shuttle and speeders."

"How exactly are you going to do that?" he asked.

Avaryss smiled, her red eyes glittering beneath her hooded cowl.

"We brought some wonderful new toys with us," Holli informed him, "I was not idle while we were waiting aboard _the Terror_."

The engineer smirked.

"We have just what we need to even the odds, automated rocket launchers, proximity mines, and a military grade jammer, just to make sure our friends down there can't call for help."

Holli gave him a proud look, pleased with the selections she had made while they had been Captain Brandei's guests.

They'll do the trick," she said, "make the five of us seem like a hundred."

"Which is why you are going to need to take out that bolt-hole, soldier boy," Rink said giving Beric and evil smirk.

"I take it you have heard what the boss did to our original pilot when he screwed up one time too many?"

Beric Lylos glared at him.

"I know my duty, street rat," he spat, "I hope you know yours."

"Enough," Avaryss told them both, "We have real enemies here; let's not start fighting amongst ourselves."

Avaryss' eyes drifted over the map, she nodded thoughtfully. Holli was not wrong, with the tech she had acquired from _the Terror_, this fight would not be as one sided as one would believe. It would be even less so when you added her own powers into the mix.

The young Sith smiled.

It had been far too long since she had had the chance to cut loose, to simply let go and use her abilities to the fullest. She had been training hard over the last few months, increasing her already formidable abilities. If she had to be honest, she would say that her powers had doubled since she had left Korriban in Darth Feer's service. She was not ready yet to challenge her master, but her skills and knowledge _were _growing, and with each new engagement, her powers continued to expand.

One day, she would be strong enough to oppose her master directly, and on that day…

…On that day, they would see just who was worthy of being called a master.

"We shall wait until dark," she informed her crew. We will use the automated launchers to deal with the vehicles. Lieutenant Lylos will cut off any other escape routes. Holli will make sure that all our toys are functioning properly,"

She turned to the engineer.

"Make sure no one gets close to those launchers, not until I'm inside the compound."

"It will be done, my lord," she promised.

"Good," Avaryss nodded, "This is going to take a bit of finesse on our part, at least in the beginning. If you all work together we can pull this off and be one step closer to ensuring the safety of the Empire."

She chuckled.

"I'm not sure what is going to happen when the attack begins, but I do know this, the Force is with us this day, and it will serve us well. Fight well, and I will see you all when victory is assured."

The group broke up, they still have several hours to get everything done, and it would be a lot, and all would have to be done without attracting any attention of the Rist guards.

It was unlikely that anyone knew they were coming, but Avaryss preferred to err on the side of caution. Who knew if they would get another shot at this if they missed? They needed to be perfect the first time.

They needed to have Noldan Alde in hand tonight.

She was determined to make that dream a reality.

No mistakes, she thought…

…and no mercy.

IOI

"Set target, three," Avaryss ordered.

"Fire."

The automated launcher locked on to target three, the main gates, and it fired, once again an explosion lit up the night, the gate did not fall however, it seemed to have been protected by a small energy shield, the barrier flared as the rocket's energy depleted itself against it. The door remained but its protection was greatly diminished.

Avaryss saw another plume of smoke in the distance; that would be Beric, she knew, making sure that House Rist could not smuggle their prize out through any escape tunnels, if all had gone to plan those were now blocked.

Noldan Alde now had nowhere else to run.

She could hear the distant shouts of his defenders. House Rist's agents were not panicking, she could imagine them trying to locate where the rockets were coming from, no doubt shouting into comlinks, calling out to their defenders outside to seek out and engage whoever it was attacking them. By now, Holli should have had the defenses in place, ready to deal with anyone trying to silence those launchers. It did not matter now of course the devices having served their purpose, now they were just bait.

She was eager to see how many members of House Rist came up to try and nibble.

She began to count down slowly from one hundred, giving her enemies time to clear out, time to think that they had a chance of stopping their attackers, she watched the gates open and men and women rush out into the woods.

Not yet, the dark side seemed to whisper in her ear.

Not yet.

Rink seemed relaxed, but she could see how he gripped his blaster, he knew they were about to come into harm's way. Yet, he trusted her enough not to question or offer any unnecessary suggestions.

Avaryss knew her business, and with the counsel of her allies they had come up with a good plan.

All that remained now was to carry it out.

Just as she reached the count of forty, her comlink chirped. Holli's voice whispered in her ear.

"Three, two, one…"

Static filled her earpiece; it was so loud the sonic dampeners in her ears kicked on, protecting her hearing.

Avaryss smirked.

That would be the jammer they had brought.

The compound was now mute, unable to call for any further help.

The young Sith continued to count and watch.

More of Alde's defenders continued to pour into the wilderness.

Her hand gripped the hilt of her lightsaber, excitement bubbled up inside her, yet she held it in check, not wanting to move until it was absolutely the perfect time. She continued to play the old mental games, psyching herself up for what was to come. She willed the dark side to gather, to armor her against her enemies and give her the strength to leave them broken and finished.

By the time she reached the count of three she was almost ready to explode, the world was tinged with red, her fury only just held in check by her discipline.

It is time, she thought.

"Now," she said to Rink.

Let the slaughter begin!

Rink gunned the engine and their speeder shot out from its hiding place, it flew like a blaster bolt, straight for the corner of the far right wall.

So far the plan was working perfectly, the defenders were so focused on the rockets and where they were coming from that they had yet to truly take notice of the single speeder weaving its way through the trees. Those that **did** notice likely thought it no threat. The estate had its shields; even if the speeder was packed with detonators it was unlikely that a single vehicle striking the wall would do any major damage.

That belief was exactly what Avaryss had been counting on.

She was far more dangerous than mere detonators.

A loud explosion went off in the forest, smoke and flame rose into the evening sky.

The defenders had just found Holli's proximity mines, or at least the first batch of them.

Now, she the young Sith thought gamely.

Let's make things interesting!

Rink brought her in as close as he could; she unbuckled her safety straps, and climbed up onto the back of the speeder.

"Give us a little height," she ordered, "Hold us steady."

Rink did not need any encouragement; he knew what was expected of him and carried out her orders.

She closed her eyes, gathering her strength, letting her fury lift her up and make her more than any mere human.

"NOW!" she shouted.

Rink brought the speeder around hard.

Avaryss leapt, using its surface as a spring board.

The shields were designed to stop fast moving projectiles, rockets, missiles and the like, a single leaping figure did not set off the shield's defensive perimeter, she passed easily through it, between the Force and her own strength she easily cleared the wall in a single bound, and found herself found herself in enemy territory, inside the estate's courtyard.

Two of the Rist noticed her arrival; they shouted out warnings and raised their blasters, firing wildly. She turned her descent into a roll, evading their fire even as she brought up her lightsaber, its crimson blade ignited with an evil hiss.

She came down harder than she would have liked, the blaster fire having thrown off her trajectory slightly. The jarring impact caused her to bite her tongue; the copper-like taste of blood filled her mouth.

Damn it, she thought.

That hurt!

The pain proved useful, it further helped her center herself. It served to awaken the dark forces that burned both within her, and bound her to the rest of the universe.

The rest of the Rist started to notice they had an intruder, shouts filled the air, as they woke up to the threat and started to move to engage.

They were so slow, she thought…

…Too slow.

She brought up her blade.

_You want death_, she thought glaring at those who would dare try to block her path.

_Then have it, in __**abundance!**_

She leapt forward again, this time using the Force, almost too fast for the naked eye to see.

She fell among Noldan Alde's defenders...

The dying began.

If you asked her later what had happened, she probably would not have had an answer. The world vanished into a bloody haze as she gave herself over fully to her rage and hate. She remembered shouts for reinforcements, challenges, and promises of vengeance, but all these ended the exact same way.

The hum of Avaryss' lightsaber, that and the cut off shriek of the dying!

Realizing what was happening, the Rist assassins tried to fall back, to give themselves some room where they might overwhelm her defenses by concentrating fire. Her lightsaber moved almost of its own accord, the sweet skill of Shien sending her enemies' blaster bolts ricocheting back in their direction. Some of the Rist tried to dive for cover, but they were quickly dispatched by their own deflected fire. Many fell with blaster burns through their chests, heads, and stomachs.

Cries of death and despair quickly filled the air.

She reveled in each one.

Those that did not meet their end that way found an equally painful conclusion to their lives. Avaryss moved in quickly, using both Makashi and Shii-cho to terrible effect. She moved among them loping off both limbs and heads with equal efficiency. Some tried to resist with sword or stun stick; they may have well been unarmed.

Each death only further excited her, filling her up with even more dark side energy, offering her even more ways to destroy those that dare oppose her advance.

From the wall two grenades began to fall towards her, she reached out catching them with the Force and sending them back towards those that had thrown them.

The walkway exploded violently.

The world continued to burn crimson.

As she fought she murmured under her breath, casting a spell. She had wanted to use it for some time, but in the past, she had hesitated. She had been wary of using it on Dromund Kaas not wishing to draw her master's attention with its use.

On Alderaan, she had little to fear of that.

I'm a Sith Sorceress, she thought.

Why should I not use my power?

She cast her spell, and in that sublime moment…

Even more Alderaani began to die.

Those that had not been struck by blaster bolts or cut down by her blade fell to their knees wailing in a mixture of terror and agony! They tore at their own flesh, cries of panic filled the night, as the horrors of their minds claimed them one by one. The spell was known to her as _the whisper in the dark_, she had discovered it among the text of an ancient scroll she had retrieved in a forgotten tomb back on Korriban.

A horrible way to die, she knew, she had felt the whispers effect in the tomb where she had found it.

Only the strongest of wills could hope to endure it.

Her opponents this day did not seem to have such strength...

…Too bad for them.

The scroll had described the spell as a way of burning one's enemies out from the inside. The greater their terror, the faster they would burn. She had seen the spell used to similar effect during her final trial on Korriban. She had seen what was left of the Sith that had been caught up in that spell.

It had not been a pretty sight, even more so knowing that those affected had been strong in the Force.

As she watched the remaining guards fall, reveling in their pain and destruction, she felt something warm running down her upper lip, she reached up and felt wetness. She pulled back her hand and saw it sticky with blood, her own blood.

Her eyes narrowed.

_You should not be surprised,_ the darkness whispered in her ear.

_Did you __**not**__ read the warnings?_

She had, truth be told. The spell was known to be very hard on the caster's body, almost as much as it was on a victim. If the caster was not careful, it was more than possible that the spell would consume them too, and even if it didn't, there was a price to be paid for using such magic.

All power had a price.

Avaryss managed to catch her reflection in a small puddle in the courtyard, what she saw…surprised her to say the least.

She was not a woman who cherished her looks. They were a useful tool, nothing more, but still…

Her eyes burned like red hot coals, the space around her eyes had darkened and looked sunken in; it appeared like she had not slept in weeks. Blood ran from both her nose, and her bitten tongue, giving her a smile far redder than it should have been, blood ran down her chin. Her cheeks were also slightly sunken in, also darkening. In the blood shine of her blade her face looked like some pale skull with burning red eyes, perhaps some ghost or demon from legend.

The thought made her take a step back.

It is working, my spell, she thought, but…at what cause?

She glanced around at the few survivors. No one was shooting at her anymore, the bodies of some were starting to smolder, life was fading, but it was still there.

It was just what she needed.

She reached out and cast again.

A death field expanded from her, syphoning off the lives of the few remaining assassins. She felt the energy start flowing into her, restoring what the whisper had taken from her.

It was a heady sensation, sweeter than even the purest spice.

Again she felt herself getting lost, it was so easy to let go and simply get drunk on the raw power she wielded. It took all her will to resist the desire to just keep taking and taking…

She could not allow herself to do that, it was not a smart move.

Her master warned her about using death field too often. Yes, it was the closest thing the Sith had to possessing healing arts, but it could also be a curse.

Centuries ago there had been a Sith who had had such a skill in conjuring death fields that he had grown strong enough to consume the life energy of entire planets. Such skill should have made him a god among the Sith, but the price had been too high, the energies that he had claimed undid him.

His powers had destroyed his physical form, leaving him a living breach within the Force, a creature left with nothing but his hunger. He was caught in a constant state of hunger, even feeding off his own crew.

_Is that what you wish to become apprentice_, her master had asked, _to be nothing but hunger, to no longer be able to experience life's pleasures?_

The answer was no, of course.

She had many desires; to be consumed by her own powers were not one of them.

She dismissed the death field, feeling both powerful and refreshed.

She grinned savagely.

Things were just starting to get interesting.

She turned her attention to the estate proper. She could sense life within, more defenders and among them…her prey.

She was eager to make his acquaintance

She strode forward with purpose.

Two guards fell upon her as she entered the building, they wielded wicked looking curved swords, they were fast and forced her back a few steps with their unfamiliar fighting style, but she recovered quickly.

Again Makashi proved its value, the duelist style enabled to overwhelm the two, they fell to the floor of the estate, their heads rolling from their shoulders.

Avaryss shivered with anticipation as she began her hunt for Noldan Alde.

This hunt was proving to be quite diverting, it had been a long time since she had been able to truly cut loose and enjoy herself, to revel in the power of the dark side.

She moved from room to room, seeking her prey. The assassins of House Rist seemed to realize that they were facing something that was beyond them now. They fought with a lethal cunning, trying to surprise her. A few them even tried to take her with them as they fell, these proved the most challenging, giving her pause in her hunt.

You had to admire their determination, if nothing else, she thought.

Still she had seen no sign of Noldan Alde.

It was starting to frustrate her.

_Control yourself, _the dark side chided; _it would not do to simply cut the man down without realizing who he was. He still had questions to answer._

She took a deep breath and let it out, some of her anger going with it.

She was back in control again.

Now…it was back to the hunt.

From room to room she searched. She blasted open doors with the Force, scanned for her prey, and moved on. Her senses remained hyperaware, even the smallest of sounds seemed like a heavy footfall.

Finally she finally came to a bedroom with two Rist Assassins inside. They raised their weapons.

By this point she had grown tired of killing them.

One she propelled out the nearest window with a Force push, He fell two stories straight down; it was possible that he had survived, but at that point she could care less.

She reached out with the Force and ripped the weapon from the second man's hand, she flung it into the hall behind her. Before he could pull another weapon or try to blow them both up, she caught him in a crushing Force grip.

He let out a straggled cry and fell to his knees.

Avaryss advanced, her patience finally wearing thin.

She stood over him.

"Where is Noldan Alde?" she demanded.

Though in agony, the man simply glared at her.

He remained silent.

She snarled and raised her hand, constricting the Force grip than held him in place.

The man coughed as she forced the air from his lungs.

"**Where is Noldan Alde? You will tell me!"**

"Sith?"

She paused in her attack, she glanced around quickly, unsure of where the voice had come from.

"Turn on the hyper-comm by the bed," the voice repeated, "I think we need to speak."

Avaryss did not relax her grip on her prisoner, she gestured with the Force, activating the communicator.

A hologram appeared between her and the device.

She grinned savagely. She recognized the man from the picture Giselle Organa had supplied. He was handsome she supposed, in the Alderaani way. Slim of figure with short dark hair and eyes, Noldan Alde seemed to be your typical Alderaani in every way.

"Noldan Alde, I presume?"

The man sneered at her. He looked her up and down.

"You're a pretty little thing, I'll give you that, in that murderous maniacal kind of way," he laughed lightly.

His reaction surprised her. She had expected some loyal to the death Republic agent, that was not the impression she was getting here. The man looked like a fop, and through the Force she sensed only a desire for self-gratification and a cruelty that matched most Sith.

He was definitely not what she expected.

"It seems you have been looking for me," he said, "I'm flattered."

"It will pass," she said dryly, "Come out, come out, where ever you are."

The man snorted.

"No…no I don't think so, you will excuse me if I don't, you seem a little on the homicidal side today."

The man chuckled.

"That does not mean that we cannot speak, does it? You clearly want something from me; perhaps we can make some kind of a deal?"

Avaryss considered his offer, she had enjoyed killing this man's bodyguards, but that had been a distraction.

Answers are what she truly came here for.

"I will kill your guard," she said flatly.

"Go right ahead," he said with a shrug, "Always more where that one came from.

If the assassin in her grip was surprised by his answer he did not show it. He continued to remain silent while Avaryss continued to keep him pinned.

"You clearly want something," Alde said, "You would not have gone to all this trouble if you didn't…please, let us speak like reasonable beings."

Avaryss shrugged.

Why not?

She could always kill him after.

"You were involved with hiring a crew of smugglers recently," she informed him, "they tried to sneak military grade weapons to slaves on Dromund Kaas."

She gave him her sweetest smile.

"I want to know who hired you to do that."

The young man rolled his eyes.

"The freighter," he said, "that is what this is about? That is the reason you are killing your way through this house? That is why I've been forced to hide here like some common criminal?"

He shook his head.

"I hadn't realized what a pain in the neck this business would be."

Avaryss smirked, his outburst amused her.

Clearly he still did not understand exactly what it was he had done.

She was eager to make him realize the full consequences of his actions.

"Did you know about the weapons?" she asked.

"I hired a freighter crew, people that weren't afraid to do something risky. I did not know what the cargo was, I didn't need to know, or want to for that matter."

He shook his head again.

"It was not supposed to be this way," he complained, "My name was never supposed to be recorded or said anywhere."

He sighed.

"You are not going to stop hunting me are you? Not until you know the full story?"

"Why should I stop?" she asked dryly, "I find killing your men most diverting."

He gave her a grim smile.

"Perhaps you need a new diversion," he suggested, "How much is my life worth, Sith, what would it take to get you to leave me alone, and allow me to get on with enjoying myself?"

Avaryss considered his words.

He still did not seem to understand exactly what he had gotten mixed up in. It was clear that he harbored no real loyalty towards either Republic or the Jedi. It took a bit of the fun out of her mission here.

She sneered.

Killing would be enjoyable, especially after all the hoops she had had to jump through to get to this point, still…

She smiled politely.

"No loyalty to your comrades?" she asked.

"This was never about loyalty," he said, "I'm a man who gets bored easily, Sith. I was approached by some interesting people offering me the distraction of being involved in something exciting. I saw it as a way out of my daily routine and said yes."

He shook his head.

"Everything was going fine until they came back and told me I had to go into hiding. They told me that something had gone wrong with the shipment and that someone would show up asking questions."

Avaryss chuckled.

"I'm surprised they simply did not try to kill you, tie up a loose end."

"What makes you think that they didn't?" he replied, "they offered to take me to a secure location, and when I refused, they tried to attack me. I managed to kill them and get away, but after that I realized that some diversions are not worth the risk."

He shook his head.

"The people that hired me, you are going to kill them, yes?"

"The thought had crossed my mind," she admitted.

"Then I have no reason not to tell you everything," he said happily, "I'm sure the name of their leader is more than worth my life."

"It would be a start," she agreed.

"I'll give you the name," he assured her, "I'll give up the name, and you stop hunting me, you will no longer try to kill me."

"Once I have that name, there will be no reason for me to pursue you," she promised, "Tell me what I want to know, and I will stop trying to kill you."

"Sounds fair," he said.

She looked down at her prisoner.

"What about this one? Would you like me to spare his life?"

"Do what you wish," Alde told her, "It is not like he was very successful at stopping you, and it is not like I can get my money back."

Avaryss felt a flicker of betrayal from the man she held in her grip. She did not feel sorry for him, but that did not mean that she did not understand.

Betrayal was understood quite well, in fact in gave her an idea.

She was eager to see how this all played out.

"The one who hired me called himself Pondar, Master Pondar, he was a Jedi, I think. One of the feline looking races, a Cathar I think."

Avaryss smiled at the realization.

Finally, she thought.

She had wondered when she would start seeing more Jedi involvement. She had already faced one knight…

It was only a matter of time until she faced a master.

Noldan Alde told her everything he knew about the one who hired him, how they had met, what he looked like. He did not know where the man was now, but that would not be a problem.

Master Feore and his contacts will find him, she thought.

They will find him, and then…he will face me, she thought excitedly.

She found herself eagerly awaiting such a meeting.

Alde still did not reveal his location to her; He claimed to be in a secured panic room somewhere in the estate. She could have searched for him, but she was running out of time.

The rest of House Rist had noticed the comm blackout; it was only a matter of time until they sent reinforcements. She could have dealt with them, but now that she had what she wanted, it would have been pointless.

Now…she needed to get out of here.

The hologram of Noldan Alde vanished, leaving Avaryss alone with the last remaining assassin. She could have crushed him in her Force grip, but by that point she had a different idea, a better one.

She needed to act fast, who knew how long she had until reinforcements arrived. Rink and the others would have likely made for their rendezvous; she would go to them soon, just after she tied up one final loose end.

She looked down upon the Rist, the killer continued to glare at her.

She gave him a sympathetic look.

"Your boss is a real shutta," she said.

Finally, the assassin did something more than glared. He snorted with amusement.

"Our house is use to working for such people," he said, "If not for them, we might never find work."

"Perhaps," she agreed, "but that does not make him any less of a Hutt spawn."

She smiled at the killer. His life was hers to end; perhaps Noldan Alde even wanted her to end it.

That was more than enough reason to do otherwise.

"I'm going to release you now," she informed him, "You are not going to attack me if I do?"

"What would be the point," the assassin said, "We were hired to protect Noldan Alde. If you are not seeking his death anymore, why should I do anything, the client's life matters, not mine, and besides, if I resisted you would kill me, isn't that right?"

"It is," she assured him. She gestured releasing him from her Force grip.

He gasped, taking in a great lung full of air.

He nodded, thanking her perhaps for this brief bit of mercy.

She smiled slightly.

If he liked this, he was going to love what happened next.

She did not completely relax her guard; her blade remained out and active. If the man tried to betray her, she would not have to do much to return to a fighter's guard, but…personally, she did not think she needed it.

She had what she came for, now she wanted to do what she wanted.

She suspected the assassin might enjoy it too.

"Your men fought bravely," she told him, "I want no bad blood between House Rist and the Empire."

"They died defending our client," the man informed her, "We all knew the risks. Death is the reward we all earn. We all understand that."

Avaryss gave him a knowing look.

"Perhaps, but it doesn't have to be your death. I think we might find someone more deserving, if you are of a mind?"

The assassin blinked, unsure if he heard her correctly.

"You want us to kill someone?"

"I have a contract," she said, "And I'm prepared to pay handsomely to see it done, provided that there is no more unpleasantness between us. The credits I offer will no doubt go far in seeing to the families of those whose lives ended here."

"That would depend entirely on the target my lord," the man said, "Who do you want us to…retire?"

She grinned, pleased at the man's use of the lord honorific.

She thought he would be more pleased when he heard the targets name.

"Noldan Alde," she said.

The man frowned.

"We cannot kill a client," he said.

"How about when the contract is concluded, would you still owe him anything then?"

The man considered what she said. She suspected that House Rist survived on its honor, as much as it did on the contracts it took.

She was not asking for Alde to die now, only that it happen soon, if it did after she left, so be it.

She did not need to see a body, not when she knew the work was done.

"You promised to spare him," the man reminded her, "that you _**wouldn't **_kill him."

"And I'm keeping that promise," she replied, "I won't lift a finger to harm him."

She gave the assassin a sly grin.

"That will be your job."

If the man found any flaw in her reason, he did not show it.

In fact, he nodded.

"I will see what I can do," he promised.

"And the price," she inquired, considering what she was asking; she figured it would be quite high.

The assassin…surprised her.

"Too many of us died here," he said, "We died trying to protect our client, and he gave up what he should have been protecting without a thought."

The Rist shook his head.

"A man without honor is nothing, he deserves to become nothing."

The assassin grinned.

"As you said, that is our job."

"And the price," she repeated.

The man laughed.

"Considering what he cost us, how little our lives meant to him, I'm willing to do the job on the cheap."

The man grinned.

"How does a single credit note sound?"

She giggled like a humble peasant girl

Avaryss could not help it; the man's brazenness amused her. No doubt Alde would be insulted to hear how little his life was worth.

In her eyes, that made it even _**more**_ delicious.

Besides, Alde knew too much, she needed to make sure that no other Sith, like Hezzan, learned what she had just heard.

"Keep silent about what you heard, and you have a deal," she told him, "I'll even offer extra if you keep what was said in this room between us."

"House Rist is known for its discretion, my lord," he said, "Donations for the fallen are always accepted."

"I'm sure," she said, reaching for the pouch on her belt.

A single credit note was more than worth it to see the arrogant noble silenced, there was a problem though…

She smiled.

"I don't suppose you have change for a five?" she asked.

The assassin laughed.

Fortunately for her, he did.


	27. Retribution

**Chapter 27: Retribution**

Something was wrong.

Avaryss could sense it even as she made her way to the comm room of the House Thul estate. The Force churned within her as she answered the summons. It had not taken long for Darth Feer to respond after she sent her mission accomplish message home.

She could have tried to leave before this, to return to Dromund Kaas, but the Alderaani port authority would not give her ship permission to leave, she could have forced the issue she supposed, but to be honest, she had preferred the wait, it had given her a chance to get to know Elana and her allies better, it had given her time to get them to see her as one of them.

Lady Elana now walked at her side, it was she who now served as both her host and her chaperone, officially she was here as the Lady's guest so it fell to her to make sure that Avaryss' needs were tended to. Emperor knew; she got nothing else from the rest of the house. The other members of House Thul seemed to give her a wide berth, either because they were aware of how Elana's father felt about the Empire, or they did not wish to provoke any response from Duke Kendoh and his many Sith allies.

_Let them worry_, Avaryss thought, she did not intend to leave without settling accounts with Kendoh, he had brought Darth Terrog into her business, such an insult could not, and would not be easily forgiven.

She would deal with him, both for the Empire and her own Sith pride.

She could not simply sit back and allow an enemy to cross her so openly.

Another Sith might see that as weakness, and weakness was the one thing she could _**not**_ show.

Of course, she would need her master's permission to do so; the Duke still had powerful allies. She would need authorization from an equally powerful ally to make the whole thing legal in the eyes of her fellow Sith.

"You need not be here," she told the noble woman, "I will make sure that my master acknowledges your accomplishments in this matter."

"That I do not doubt, my lord," the girl replied, "Just the same, I would prefer that your master see me. Let him get a good look at his new ally, so that we may interact on a more equal basis in the future."

Avaryss almost laughed at that. Feer saw no one as an equal; however it might be useful for her master to interact with someone who could be such a useful tool as they moved forward in their endeavors.

Plus, by allowing this, it ensured that when the time came that _she_ took over, Elana would hold no grudge or insecurity when it came to dealing with her new master. Avaryss needed the girl to see her as Feer's one true heir, and letting her sit in meeting might go a long way in assuring that.

Avaryss ordered the comm room cleared of any Thul personnel when they arrived, House Feer had enough leaks right now, and she had no wish to add to them. The sense of foreboding she had been feeling since the call first came in remained.

The young Sith frowned.

_I need to be both mindful of my thoughts and careful of my words. _ If her master was displeased in some way, he may decide to take out his anger and frustration on her.

She needed to make sure that did **not** happen. She needed to keep his displeasure focused on external threats.

It was the best way to ensure her continued survival.

She was not sure what her master would be angry about, so far she had managed to accomplish every task he had set at her feet.

Be careful, she thought to herself…

…and be mindful.

"The hyper-comm was beeping as the last of the Thul servants cleared out, the connection to Dromund Kaas was fully established and coming in loud and clear.

Avaryss dropped to one knee, and motioned for Lady Elana to do the same.

"You are about to be addressed by a Darth of the Sith Empire," she reminded the woman, "Bending the knee to such lord is never a bad idea."

Elana nodded and followed her example.

When they were both in position Avaryss gestured to the hyper-comm with the Force. The hazy blue tinged projection of Darth Feer appeared before them.

Avaryss only just managed to suppress a gasp.

Her master did not look well.

Lord Feer was slouched over in a chair, probably the one in his office in the estate. A black cloak and cowl hid most of his form, but where it did not Avaryss could make out signs of injury, red marks on his hands, a long crimson scar ran from her master's chin up the left side of his jaw.

_I can feel his pain even from here,_ she thought, She was not sure what had happened but…

Lord Feer laughed; it was an ominous croaking sound. She could just make out the glow of his golden eyes beneath the black hood, they burned like molten gold.

Injured her master may be, but that made him no less dangerous. In fact he was likely _**more **_dangerous now. The pain he was in was fueling his powers.

Yes, she would need to be extra careful this time.

"You are hurt," she said flatly, a statement not a question.

"Yess," Feer hissed, "there has been a…incident; a matter involving what was likely one of Darth Terrog's minions."

Her master laughed again, a septic wheeze that foretold just how bad the…incident he had referred was

Feer pulled his hood up farther, hiding his damaged features.

"As you can see, I did not come through it entirely unscathed."

Fury bloomed in Avaryss' heart.

_How dare someone strike at her master_, she thought, _only __**I**__ have the right to do that, and only at a time of __**my**__ choosing._

She realized what a mistake that thought was almost immediately; their time studying together had strengthened the ties between master and pupil.

He might not have been able to read her thoughts, but he could sense her emotions.

Feer frowned. His eyes burned into hers, a cold shiver ran down her spine.

Fear of punishment!

No, she thought, not that!

Never again.

"My wounds are not life threatening," he informed her, "the medical droids say I will make a full recovery."

His grin returned.

"Have no fear, my child; I will be around for many, **many** more years."

She strengthened her mental walls, trying her best to hide her true emotions.

She smiled.

"I am pleased to hear that, my lord," she said bowing her head submissively, "If I may be so bold, may I inquire on the health of your lady wife and the young master?"

Her master snorted with amusement.

"Synestra and Bael are both fine," he informed her.

His smile turned cold.

"Try not to be **too** relieved, my dear," he growled.

Avaryss did her best to hide her emotions, not wishing to provoke her lord, and injured Tukata could be far more lethal than a healthy one.

"You wound me, master," she said, "My loyalties are to our house**, always** to our house, and the Empire. I am…"

Avaryss coughed, she shook her head. Her hand drifting to her throat, it felt like…like she had just walked through cobwebs, she could felt something touching her throat. She…

She coughed again.

Her master's eyes glittered evilly beneath his hood.

It was all Avaryss could do to keep from panicking!

**Impossible,** she thought.

_It…it isn't possible!_

He **can't** be choking me, not when I'm here and he is there, he…"

She felt the pressure around her throat tighten.

She fell silent and bowed her head deeper.

"I wound _you_?" he asked dryly, "Is that what you think young one? You have no idea what I could do to you if I was motivated to do so."

He sat up straighter in his chair.

"I will hear your mission report now, or you will find out exactly how much I can wound you."

She felt the pressure on her neck tighten, but she did not beg or claw at her throat.

She would not give him the satisfaction of seeing that.

"Yes…yes, my lord," she said nodding, resisting the urge to try and pry the invisible fingers off, it would have been useless, after all.

"Noldan Alde is dead, my master," she said, "and the name of the one who hired him is now in my possession."

She smiled.

"The mission was a complete success."

Her master paused; she felt the tightness around her neck loosen.

"Really?" he said.

"It is true, my lord," she said quickly.

"Hm," her master snorted, "that is not what I've heard from Duke Kendoh. He contacted me this morning, saying that you had fled his holdings without leave and lost yourself in the pleasures of Alderaan, that you were ignoring my commands."

"I think you know me better than that," she said, "My loyalty to our house is absolute, and besides…Kendoh has proven to be…unreliable."

"So you claim," he said, she was still in danger, but…through the Force, she felt his temper starting to cool, he was thinking with his head again, not his heart,

If he believed that she had betrayed him, there were few places in the galaxy that she could hide. She certainly would not be able to escape his vengeance.

I'm not strong enough for that, she knew, not yet…

…not yet.

"One of Darth Terrog's thugs was waiting at Kendoh's estate when I arrived. I believe the man intended to play you and Terrog off against each other, to see which of you would offer him the biggest reward for the information we sought."

Avaryss sneered.

"It is true that I left his estate, I found another Thul willing to aid us, and as for enjoying the pleasures of Alderaan, well…"

She shrugged.

"I did attend a gathering last night, but only after my main mission was completed, to make contacts here, for our house, of course."

"Of course," Feer said, thought she could not tell if he approved of her choice, or he was being sarcastic.

All she knew for certain was that the tightness in her throat finally ceased.

It seemed she had earned her way back into her master's good graces, at least, for now.

"So," he said, "Noldan Alde is dead?"

"Yes."

"You are sure?"

"Yes."

"So you killed him?"

Avaryss chuckled.

Word of Alde's death had reached her while she was attending Lady Elana's salon. He had only just left the Rist compound that morning, and in a "tragic" turn of events, his luxury air speeder had gone down in the mountains. The body had been recovered and identified by servants of House Rist.

The news had put a smile on Avaryss' face.

"He **was** killed, that is all that matters, he took what he told me to his grave."

Her master nodded thoughtfully.

"Then everything is as it should be," he murmured, "Though I do have another question. You arranged the arms we confiscated to be sent to Alderaan. Why?"

"To advance Sith interests, of course."

"Explain," he master ordered.

She did her best to do so.

The death of Noldan Alde had set off an interesting turn of events. House Alde complained to House Organa, who blamed House Ulgo for the death, citing…suspicious circumstances.

It was a tense situation to be sure, made even more so by House Organa's newly armed status.

Captain Brandei and his crew had come through for her.

Giselle Organa, now calling herself General Giselle Organa was said to be arming her newly formed militia as they spoke. The Ulgo took it for saber rattling, which is what it was. Tensions continued to increase between the two houses. Alde blamed the Ulgo for the death of their brother, thinking his death was retaliation for acquiring the arms that House Organa had received, an idea that Elana Thul's agents had provided proof for, anonymously of course, evidence that _**was**_ true, from a certain point of view.

The whole thing amused Avaryss.

Lord Feer was not so impressed.

"You realize that your actions have armed an enemy of the Empire?"

"And at the same time given an edge to our Thul friends," She replied, "Organa **will** fight Ulgo, weakening both, and if Organa should become a problem well…"

She grinned savagely.

"Ensign Holli took care of that."

Feer laughed a laugh that turned into a coughing fit. Avaryss waited for her master to regain his composure before continuing.

"Holli made some…alterations to their newly acquired shield generators while they were being searched. She replaced the power coils on them with some of our own, coils that can be deactivated with the proper clearance code broadcast over the precise frequency."

Hearing that made her master sit up, his eyes widened.

"We can disable their shields?"

If that is our desire," Avaryss said.

"Surely the Organa will do a thorough inspection of the devices. They will find the changes that your engineer made."

"All the more reason to provoke House Ulgo," Avaryss replied, "Organa does not have the time to leisurely take apart their shield generators, not with the Ulgo threat on their doorstep, and even if they did, the coils are not easy to come by, hard to replace, even in peace time."

Avaryss chuckled.

"If the Empire needs to, we can handle the Organa, but for now, we should do what we can to make sure they do what we need them to do against Ulgo."

Darth Feer sneered; his lips curling beneath the shadow of his cowl.

"And we are the only ones that have both the code and frequency. Excellent!"

"If I may make a suggestion, we should provide my new Thul friend with the code as well. They may find it useful should the Empire choose to support their claim to the Alderaani throne."

"Hm," Feer glanced over at Elana Thul; Avaryss extended the viewing field of the holo-signal to include her as well."

Her master noticed the girl for the first time.

Darth Feer nodded.

"My master, may I present the Lady Elana of House Thul, the one who helped me find Noldan Alde. Lady Thul, may I present my master Darth Feer, Lord of the Sith and master of the Itae and Zahn systems."

"Greetings, my lord," Elana Thul said bowing deeply.

Pleasure radiated from Avaryss' master.

The Dark Lord smiled.

"Your aid in this matter is most appreciated, my lady," he said, "House Feer can be most generous to its friends, as you will see."

"Why else would I seek to aid you, my lord," Elana said grinning slyly, "that and my desire to become the new head of my house."

Feer laughed at her reply.

He turned to his apprentice.

"I like this one, my child," he said, "Brash and ambitious, we shall do what is needed to see her rise."

"An excellent idea, my lord," Avaryss said.

Her master's demeanor had changed, he had been in pain and looking for someone to blame when their conversation had begun, now he almost seemed jovial, more than pleased with her efforts on his behalf.

"You should return to Dromund Kaas, apprentice," he ordered, "We have much to do."

Avaryss frowned.

"What of Duke Kendoh, my master? Should he go unpunished for his arrogance?"

"For now, he remains untouchable," her master said with a flicker of his earlier anger, "He enjoys the protection of several powerful lords, Darth Vengean of the Dark Council among them."

Avaryss bristled.

She did not like leaving Kendoh unpunished, especially after this incident on Dromund Kaas, still there was little she could do. If her master advised caution, then it was wise to follow his orders.

Duke Kendoh's luck would run out eventually, hopefully she would be there to see it, to savor his destruction.

The mere thought of that excited her.

"You should give me the name you acquired," her master suggested, "I will get the Warmaster's people started on finding out what they can."

Avaryss frowned.

"I think it wiser to bring the name home in person, master. Terrog's servant here suggests we have a leak somewhere in House Feer."

Her crimson eyes narrowed.

"We will need to clean house, and find the rat."

For a moment anger flashed in her master's eyes, anger at her denial, but then…his wisdom took over.

He nodded.

"A wise idea, my child," he agreed, "You will bring it back to the estate, and we shall seek the next step on this journey together."

He grinned.

"We are getting closer, my dear. Soon we shall reach the end of this journey, and then…retribution will be ours."

"I eagerly await that moment, my lord." Avaryss said bowing.

"As do I," he agreed, "Return to me swiftly, my apprentice, we have much to do."

She nodded again.

"I will return shortly."

"Excellent," her master said, "Feer out."

The hologram faded.

At her side, Elana Thul giggled, pleased that she had made a new contact.

Avaryss smiled.

_Feer out_, he had said at the end.

She chuckled.

_One day…he would be._

IOI

Avaryss was in good spirits as she and her team made their way back to the Thul controlled space port. Alderaan security had finished its investigation of the previous attack and had given the Sith ship clearance to leave.

To be honest, Avaryss would be sorry to put Alderaan behind her, this world had proven an interesting diversion.

Perhaps she would even holiday here someday.

Their successes of the last few days had brought their little crew together in a way their previous missions had not. Rink and Beric had seemingly buried whatever issues they had, and Holli had come respected by both for both her skill and humor.

The unity that they had found would serve them well, especially as their investigation turned towards the Jedi Order.

Avaryss grinned.

She was quite interested in finding this Jedi Master, the Cathar that had brought Noldan Alde into the plot.

Was he the mastermind behind it all? If he was, then ending his life would be a top priority. Of course, she doubted it; it was unlikely that anyone who masterminded such a scheme would unveil himself to such an untrustworthy ally.

No, she suspected a more subtle hand in this. Perhaps the Jedi Master would have the name of that man. If he did, he would give it to her, whether we wanted to, or not.

_Tread lightly,_ the dark side warned, _you have yet to face a true Jedi Master in combat. Such a battle will __**not **__be easy, you must gird yourself, prepare for when that time comes._

She nodded thoughtfully.

A Jedi Maser would be a challenge, but she welcomed it.

Defeating a Jedi Master would be her next great challenge, the next step in her evolution, and her growth towards absolute and unlimited power. She could not expect to ever challenge her own master until she had defeated another master of the Force.

She would rise to the occasion, and defeat this Jedi, it did not matter how powerful he was.

The dark side was stronger than the light!

She would not be denied.

The speeder finally arrived at the spaceport, Avaryss leapt from the vehicle like a child going on her first space voyage. She was eager to get back to Dromund Kaas, to continue the hunt.

The hangar door hissed open as they approached, revealing their ship…their ship…and Hezzan!

Hooded and cloaked the Sith warrior radiated both rage and malice. Her crew began to draw their weapons; she heard the sound of blasters leaving their holsters…

Avaryss stopped her crew with a raised hand.

Hezzan may have been an arrogant fool, but he was a skilled arrogant fool. He knew the Shien form and any blaster bolts fired at him would likely go right back at the one who fired them.

She was unprepared and unwilling to sacrifice any of her crew, at least for now.

If they had to die, it would be to serve her greater glory, not because they tried to deal with a problem that she was more than capable of handling herself.

She grinned savagely, reaching up she let her cloak fall away from her shoulders, it would only slow her down when the their lightsabers started spinning.

Darth Terrog's thug stood between them and the ship, the massive Sith raised his head, his golden eyes shining beneath his hood.

"Farm Girl," he spat, "You go no further!"

Avaryss sneered.

_We'll see about that shutta_, she thought.

_We shall see._

"Stay here," she ordered her crew.

"I'll handle this."

Hezzan laughed.

"It is nice to see that somethings don't change," he cackled, "You are still an arrogant sleemo, Avaryss."

"Look who's talking," she replied dryly, drawing her blade from her belt, she did not ignite it, not yet, but the threat was there.

She found herself thinking back to their first encounter, she had been wounded then, still recovering from her interrogation, cut off from the Force, and reliant on a respirator mask to survive.

It had been Hezzan who allowed her to come back from that, it had been her anger and hatred of him that gave her the fuel to escape that prison and find her power again. She had owed him for that, and for that reason she had spared his life, true she had left him crippled, but at least she had lead him continue to draw breath.

Her crimson eyes glittered dangerously.

This time, she would not be so forgiving.

She tried to draw him away from the ship, perhaps even get him to chase her. If her crew managed to make it to the ship they could get it prepped for take-off. Once they were air born Hezzan would not be able to stop them.

That was one way she could handle this, if she outsmarted him here, who was to say that Darth Terrog would let him live with that failure, the Dark Lord might just do her job for her…she…

_Do not waste your time on what ifs_, the dark voice inside her murmured.

_Kill him…__**Now!**_

He body ached with a hunger to draw blood, but at the same time…

Fighting him was a risk…if she lost…

What she knew had to reach her master, but as the same time, her blood was up, she had no desire to have this fool dogging her every move.

No, she would end this now.

"You learned something from Noldan Alde," Hezzan snarled, "You will tell me what it was…NOW!"

"I've learned many things," she shrugged, "Including how to deal with an enemy who simply will not get out of my way."

Terrog's pawn sneered at her.

"It will not be that easy this time, Farm Girl. Lord Terrog gifts have doubled my powers, perhaps even tripled them."

She chuckled.

_Triple the pride, __**triple**__ the fall._

"Change is coming to the Empire, Avaryss. A new war is on the horizon. It shall fall to the truly great among us to lead the Empire into a new era."

He smiled slyly.

"Give me the name and I will be merciful, I'll only take **one **of your hands as payment for what you did to me, but you will get to live, and when your master falls, Darth Terrog may allow you to live, after you have been properly reconditioned you may even get to serve as one of his lesser apprentices, under me of course."

"What an enticing offer," she said dryly, "You will forgive me if I respectfully decline."

Hezzan growled in the back of his throat, his eyes flashing like an angry tukata.

"You still think you are better than me? ME?! Know that I'm only the first of many, even if you destroy me; Darth Terrog's first apprentice will end you. Even now the dark lord is continuing to alter him, improve him; soon, not even your master will be a match for that one."

"Is this the one you are planning on replacing? You think killing me will make the dark lord abandon his pet project?

She shook her head.

"You may be bigger than the last we met, but you are the same small-minded fool."

She laughed.

"You were never meant to be an apprentice. You are a test, your master wanted to see my abilities, maybe even try to tailor his work on his real apprentice, give him an edge when we finally meet."

"I'll have to make sure that there is nothing left for him to examine. It will be better that way, in the long run."

Hezzan growled and let his cloak fall away from his massive shoulders, He drew his lightsaber, the hilt was a massive heavy thing; Avaryss would likely have had trouble lifting it with both hands.

He ignited the blade; the hangar was suddenly bathed in crimson light. Avaryss followed suit, igniting her own weapon.

The two faced each other, silently, waiting to see who would make the first move.

"I've waited a long time for this," Hezzan growled, "You have made me very happy."

Avaryss snarled, her rage boiling to the service.

"I will make you dead, fool! Your time has come."

The two Sith lunged at each other.

Avaryss only barely escaped their first exchange with her life.

Hezzan moved with almost blinding speed, he deflected her first strike, and nearly took her head off with his riposte. Avaryss cartwheeled out of the way, only to have the massive Sith fall upon her like an avalanche. Her blade whirled as she turned back his powerful strikes with Soresu, but with each strike he seemed to be growing faster, she could not tell if it was the cybernetics or some genetic enhancement that Darth Terrog had given him, in the end did it really matter?

It seemed that Hezzan had not lied.

He was stronger, but unfortunately for him, so was she.

She fell back, lashing out with Force lightning, even as she reached out with the Force, she seized several large cargo containers behind Hezzan, she flung those containers like missiles.

Both attacks proved ineffective. Hezzan caught her lightning with his lightsaber, and the cargo containers striking him did nothing, they hit with enough force to shatter his spine, but thanks to Terrog's experiments, Hezzan barely flinched.

He lunged at her again, raining blows on her over taxed defense. Soresu was keeping her alive, for the moment, but it did not change the fact that Hezzan was far faster than he had been in their previous encounter, he was perhaps the faster opponent she had faced up to this point. Of course, a lightsaber and telekinesis were not her only weapons.

She managed to roll away from his strikes, and spoke quickly, gesturing with her off hand. The air rippled before her, large insects formed of living shadow flew from her fingertips.

The spell should have been enough to leave Hezzan writhing in pain, set him up for the killing blow, but again he proved himself stronger, he sent a wave of pure Force energy rippling towards her, the sheer power of the attack disrupted her spell, and sent her tumbling back, and once again Hezzan leapt at her, whirling his blade as he tried to break through her defenses.

"Magic tricks," he spat, "they are no match for the power of the dark side!"

Again she found herself on the defensive, again she found herself falling back.

It was not a situation she enjoyed.

He is strong, she thought, she was barely keeping up with him, only barely blocking his attacks, for the first time her near infinite confidence faltered, she found herself feeling a sense of worry.

She frowned.

Perhaps he is _**too**_ strong!

A frisson of fear passed through her, but she did not let it paralyze her, she had been trained well, and knew how to turn fear into anger and hate.

She lashed out, feeding off those emotions; she struck out with her lightsaber, her blade moving just quick enough that she managed to strike at both of Hezzan's wrists. His mechanical hands should have fallen away, the spot on his arm where they connected should have been nothing but molten slag, but instead her blade simply deflected off

_Energy resistant plating_ she realized, cortosis weave plates.

She hated to admit it, but…

…Terrog work was impressive.

Hezzan laughed.

"Behold the mighty Avaryss," he crowed, "Sorceress and would be Dark Lord of the Sith!"

He sneered.

"You are nothing Farm Girl, do you hear me?!"

"You are _**nothing!"**_

He cackled, reveling in her troubles.

"Fehl would have been so disappointed in you, or perhaps he wouldn't."

He enemy chuckled.

"You poisoned him after all, how truly powerful could you be?"

Avaryss' crimson eyes narrowed.

He had thought to throw her off balance by mentioning Fehl, but in doing so, he once again proved that he had not truly changed, his new powers and enhancements were impressive, but he remained the same arrogant ass he had always been."

In her mind's eye, she saw Fehl, the way he had looked after Nass' poison had ended his life. She thought of the pain she had been forced to endure while being interrogated. How Hezzan had looked after he had claimed her lover's cloak.

It was enough to reignite the fires within her.

Hezzan knew nothing.

The dark side coursed through her veins, she felt rejuvenated, while mere moments ago she had been on the edge of exhaustion.

Hezzan was a pawn, no more, no less.

She would not be defeated by a mere pawn.

She was Avaryss, Avaryss of the Sith.

She would **not **be denied.

She renewed her assault; distantly she heard the rumble of the ship's engines come to life. She could have broken off the attack and tried to flee, but she would not.

She would not run away from Hezzan.

She would not spend her time being pursued like some common criminal by a bounty hunter.

She would end this rivalry, here and now.

She tried to get inside his guard. He missed a powerful overhead strike, and she moved in for the kill. Before she could take advantage he raised his left hand, she expected a telekinetic push or pull, but that is not what happened.

His left hand split open a second lightsaber emerged, igniting and coming up in a wicked arc.

She fell back but the blade caught a glancing blow on her shoulder, again she felt the frigid kiss of a lightsaber.

The pain woke her up, fueling her hatred.

She reached out with the Force. The outer parts of Hezzan's cyborg hands were shielded.

As it turns out, the internals weren't

She sent a blast of lightning at the exposed cybernetics; the plates had yet to complete sliding back into place.

Hezzan convulsed as the blue violet lightning lit his skeleton like a glow rod.

Avaryss sliced through the cyborg's exposed left hand the trick lightsaber fell away in a shower of sparks, it was not completely gone, the shielding had prevented that, but it was no longer functioning as seamlessly as it had a few moments ago. Hezzan's damaged hand sparked, his fingers twitched, she had clearly cut through something important.

He howled and brought his blade down hard; she danced out of the way, but moved in again quickly.

Hezzan had preferred the powerful two handed grip of Djem So, so the damage done to his mechanical parts had limited him slightly. He was still extremely strong, but now he had a breach in his armor.

She exploited that breach to the fullest.

She stopped thinking; she let the Force guide her hand, her lightsaber. Hezzan fought on, his speed and strength still impressive, but the slight damage she had done made him hesitant, he was thinking when he should have been letting his emotions flow.

"Come, my lord," she heard Holli call out distantly, she ignored the engineer.

I'm not running, she thought.

I will not.

"You are nothing," Hezzan howled as he tried to reclaim the advantage, "You will be nothing! I will…"

When it happened, it took only a few seconds, yet to Avaryss it seemed like an eternity.

Something in Hezzan's left hand popped. The plates slid back, forcing him to lose his full grip on his lightsaber, his blade was out of position for barely half a second.

It was all the time that Avaryss needed.

She did not bother trying to chop through his cybernetics this time; she brought her blade up and took his right arm slicing his right arm off at the shoulder.

The massive warrior gasped, as his weapon, and sword arm fell away.

He gulped, his eyes wide with shock in horror, he looked up at Avaryss, his lips starting to form words.

She did not give him the chance.

She had grown tired of his mewling voice, his arrogant taunts.

She whirled striking her enemy twice. The first blow took Hezzan's jaw, his face caught fire as he spun around, a straggled cry escaped him, but even that was cut short.

Avaryss's second strike took his head, it bounced away smoking, the smell of burnt meat and metal filled Avaryss nostrils. Hezzan's body stood rigid for a few seconds before finally toppling over.

She did not let it fall, choosing to hit it with one last force push, she sent it flying hard into the wall, she had hoped to hear the sound of bones snapping, but again she was disappointed.

Terrog's enhancements held, at least against mere impact.

Avaryss sneered.

A lightsaber was another story, lucky her.

She retrieved his lightsaber. It was a trophy she would not leave behind. She considered taking his head too, presenting it to her master…

Not just the head, the darkness whispered in her ear, the whole body. Warmaster Feore's scientists my might find something useful in studying the enhancements, we could…

The body began to twitch and sizzle.

She stepped back, wrapping herself in the Force. She had feared some kind of self-destruct, perhaps a bomb planted on the body.

As she watched the body crumbled away, the damaged metal parts of Hezzan's cybernetics smoked and glowed hot.

It took almost no time at all.

Soon she stood over a pile of ash and scorched metal. Hezzan's head was barely half a skull, his severed arm less than that.

Avaryss frowned.

So, Darth Terrog did not want anyone getting a good look at his work. She was not surprised.

An autopsy could have revealed much, still…what did it matter. She was victorious!

"Good bye, Hezzan," she said sweetly, before spitting on his ashes.

"Rot in hell."

She left without another backward glance, as it had been on Korriban so was it here.

Only victory mattered, if you died you were forgotten.

Hezzan deserved to be forgotten.

Yet, she still remembered that final look of surprise on his face; that one defining moment when he realized that all his fancy enhancements meant nothing, the brief sweet moment when her blade bit through his neck and ended his life.

That memory was worth savoring.

Delicious!

Beric gave her a cool look as she entered the ship. No doubt he thought she should have run when she had the chance; that she owed it to the Empire to preserve what she had gotten from Noldan Alde.

No matter, he was not Sith; he did not feel the dark side singing triumphantly through his veins.

It had been a risk, yes, but it had been worth it.

Defeating her old enemy, seeing him end, it had put a smile on her face.

That is what mattered, and in that sweet moment…

…it was the only thing that had.


	28. Desires

**Chapter 28: Desires**

The hologram was grainy, clearly taken from a distance or by a holo-cam not meant for close up work. What features it did show marked the subject as clearly non-human, the small button nose; the curve of the lips that suggested a feline origin, even what might have been whiskers.

Avaryss drank in the image, she wanted to burn it into her brain, when they finally met she wanted to be sure this was the one she was seeking, for he was the next link in the chain, the next step on the road to getting to the bottom of all this.

"Hello, Master Pondar," she murmured to herself, "I will be seeing you soon."

"Did you say something, apprentice?"

Avaryss smiled at Warmaster Feore.

"Just imagining my blade at that Jedi's throat, Warmaster," she replied.

From his place across from her, Darth Feer cackled, a cackle that turned into a coughing fit. She was still not entirely sure what had happened. All that Feore would tell her was that her master and his entourage had been caught in some kind of attack orchestrated by Darth Terrog, and that her master had been the only survivor. Both Avaryss and the old pure blood waited for their master to regain his composure.

Yet, as she listened to him cough, a new thought came into her head.

_Is it time?_ She wondered.

_Has my master grown weak enough to remove?_

Feer stopped coughing and wiped at his mouth with the back of his scarred hand. He looked up at her; the golden eyes seemed to burn into her, seemingly looking beyond her face at something deeper.

Her master grinned.

There was much in that grin, both a warning and a challenge. It was as if he was daring her to try to fulfill the Sith imperative.

_No,_ she thought, _not yet, making that final move should not be taken lightly._

No, when the time came, it would not be on some lark, or in a moment of weakness. She would wait until she was **sure** that she could defeat him, when the Force whispered in her ear that it was time.

She would be patient.

She could wait.

"You will get your chance, apprentice," her master promised, whether he was referring to him or the Jedi she could not say. "We will find this one, and you will be the one who wrings the truth out of him. I've foreseen it."

"It will be done, my lord," she promised.

She would not hesitate.

She would see it done.

The comm room was fairly empty, this war council was as important as it was private. Lord Feer, Avaryss, and Warmaster Feore were meeting to discuss their next move in the investigation of the conspiracy that continued to plague the Empire, and given the leaks that they had been forced to endure, Feer had ordered the room cleared of all servants and techs, he had even had a scanning crew come in and sweep the room, to make sure that there were no hidden listening devices here to pick up what was said.

It seemed that everything was clear, or so Warmaster Feore said, Avaryss was not so sure. The Sith had access to abilities beyond the understanding of normal creatures.

Whether those abilities might allow their enemies to spy on them, the apprentice could not say. All she had to do was keep the faith, and trust in her master and Warmaster Feore.

The three of them wanted the same thing after all, the preservation of the Empire.

That was their main goal, and it was all important.

Her master turned to Feore, his eyes hungry.

"What have you found out old friend? What do we know of this alien Jedi?"

The old pureblood began his report.

"According to my sources, Master Pondar would never be considered as the greatest of his order. His accomplishments, though considerable, were never enough to see him rise to the height of the Jedi Order. He has been a Jedi Guardian for most of his life, and he has assisted in several major victories during the war."

"Assisted, but never led?" Avaryss asked.

"This appears to be a true assessment, apprentice," the pure blood said, "His name is often mentioned in the company of his betters. The more ambitious members of his order look to him when they need a solid ally, or so my agents claim."

The Warmaster tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"I don't think that this one is type to mastermind all the trouble that we have been experiencing. This one carries out plans, he does not conceive them."

"Even so," Darth Feer growled, "this man may know who is behind all this, or he can point us to someone who does."

Darth Feer chuckled.

"I never thought I would be spending time trying to untangle the schemes of a Jedi. I thought such games above them, or rather that they feel they are above such games."

"Our return changed much in the galaxy, my lord," Feore reminded him, "We hurt the Jedi during the last war. We hurt them badly.

"Such pain can lead to growth, things may have changed more than we realize."

Avaryss nodded.

What the pureblood was saying made sense.

The enemy had changed.

She found herself remembering her two previous encounters with members of the Jedi order. Both the Padawan on Butcher's Clearing and the knight she faced on Taris had both seemed obsessed with what the Sith had done to the Jedi Temple during the war. Both had seemed eager to see her dead. They might have called it justice, but it would have been revenge.

It might have gone a long way towards their conversion, but she would not have been around to see it.

No, for those two enemies, death had been preferable, she had destroyed them, and in doing so, continued her rise among the Sith.

They had deserved their fate, she did not question that.

Only Jas Dar Bynn and the beast-girl Shyra Viel showed her a different side to her enemies. They would still have to die in the end, but that was for the good of the Empire.

She did not trust an enemy who resisted the dark side's call. Such an enemy was dangerous.

When the war finally came, she would not hesitate to kill them.

It would be for the good of the Empire.

Of course, right now, the mission did not involve Jas Dar Bynn and the Padawan; it involved the Jedi aiding the Republic SIS. They would all need to be killed before they became rivals to the Empire, and it was clear that usual methods would not work.

The Sith needed to change as well, to adapt their tactics to deal with this foe, to match what was going on around them.

It could mean the difference between victory or defeat, and the Empire could not afford for them to be defeated.

If House Feer failed, the Empire itself might fall with it, torn apart by infighting.

She would not allow that.

She would stop it.

Whatever it takes!

Avaryss turned to the Warmaster; they were in his hands now. He had passed the Jedi's name on to his agents.

Hopefully they had managed to turn something up.

"Do we know where this Master Pondar is," Avaryss asked.

"It took a bit of doing on my part, but yes, I did manage to find him."

The Warmaster adjusted the holocams; the grainy image of the Jedi vanished and was replaced with the rotating holo of a planet, thick grey clouds raced across the surface that was mostly black and grey.

A lot of cities, Avaryss thought.

It might make things easier when the time came to sneak up on the Jedi, but at the same time it offered the chance for too many witnesses to see what was going on, or even to offer aid.

They would need to move carefully when they tried to take this one.

"Lord Feer, apprentice, may I present Myrnn 8; it is one of only three moons capable of supporting life in orbit of the gas giant, Myrnn. For the most part the planet has gone unnoticed. It is a Republic world but not far from the Imperial border. Technically it is a mining world, but its profits were never enough to draw Imperial attention during the last war. Our forces passed it over in search of more…profitable targets."

Her master leaned in for a closer look, his golden eyes glittering.

"Close to our border, you say?"

"It is only about eighty parsecs away from our closest outpost. It is well within range of our long range probes and we have never really found anything worth contesting the world for."

Avaryss smiled slightly.

"An unremarkable world, you say, but with a close enough proximity to us that it might serve as a beachhead of sorts for our conspirators."

She turned to her master.

"Perhaps it is this world where the bulk of our problems are coming from?"

Her master nodded sagely.

It is possible," he said, looking at the map with new eyes, seeking some new insight perhaps, through the Force.

Avaryss was not sure what he would find. Her own senses revealed nothing, hopefully that would change when she arrived on this Myrnn 8.

Her master turned to Feore.

"Does the Empire have any agents on that world?"

"A few, my lord," the pureblood informed him, "I'm in the process of looking for the one in charge, but given the degree of discretion you have asked for, it will take time."

"It will be worth it, provided we can keep our movements secret," Feer said, he turned back to his apprentice.

"How well do you trust your crew?"

"They know the consequences of betrayal." She replied.

Her master chuckled again.

"Never the less, we must keep this on a need to know basis, at least for now. Terrog has grown bolder, his choice to strike at me, and send an agent after you is proof of that."

Avaryss frowned.

"Are we certain that this attack was not caused by the conspirators we are hunting, master? If they know we are looking for them…"

"It is possible," he agreed, "but that is a matter of motivations, and at this moment, motivations do not concern me. Terrog struck at me, **wounded** me, such an insult must be answered in kind, and it will, once we have these Republic dogs properly collared.

Her master's eyes narrowed.

"Prepare yourself my apprentice, you and your crew must be ready to leave on a moment's notice. As soon as the Warmaster has what we need you will be deployed immediately."

"We will be ready, my lord," she promised," Just give the word, and we will be on our way."

The wounded dark lord smiled He raised his head enough that she got a look at the scarring that was visible beneath his hood. It was not a pretty picture.

Whatever weapon Terrog had used had made a mess of her master.

If that was not yet another reason to handle this business with the Republic quickly, she did not know what was. Whatever his reasons were, Terrog was now an open rival of House Feer. Normally, the dark council kept the lords in check, but with so many power plays happening at once…

No, they could not count on the council, not in this.

Avaryss frowned.

She remembered Hezzan's warning the one about Terrog's apprentice, his grand experiment.

They would need to move to neutralize him…and soon. Hezzan had been strong, if this new apprentice was as equally strong, he could become a problem.

"Take care of any business you might have here on Dromund Kaas, my dear," Feer told her, "I sense that when the time comes to move, you will be very busy. This Republic conspiracy has gone on long enough."

He smiled wickedly.

"It is time…to end it."

IOI

Avaryss found her crew at a small cantina not far from the spaceport. It was the type of place that few dark lords frequented, a place for those that lived and worked on the lower rungs of the Empire.

Not that there was anything wrong with that of course. Everyone needed to blow off steam every now and again; she would not deny those who served her that one simple pleasure.

She arrived to find them playing cards at one of the far tables. The three noticed her approach and started to rise to greet her.

"Continue with your game," she said, "What I have to say will be brief."

Despite her words only Holli seemed to take them to heart. Rink remained as cautious as ever, and Beric, given his training and history, was not the type to let his guard down.

She informed them of Darth Feer's orders, and the fact they would be off world for some time, likely not to return until the conspirators behind the attacks on the Empire had been dealt with.

"Does the dark lord know our final target yet," Beric inquired, "What kind of security are we looking at?"

"Warmaster Feore will give us the full details when we are on route," she promised, "After that, we follow the chain back to where ever it leads, and make sure that the Republic realizes the folly of its actions."

"Once that is done, we will be in a position of great power and respect," she smiled slyly, "We will all be heroes of the Empire, and free to choose whatever reward we desire."

"I'll finally be free to go after Tia?" Rink murmured.

"You will, and will be able to offer her more than anything you could have ever offered during your days on the streets of Nar Shadda.

That made Rink smile, Avaryss could feel his eagerness through the Force.

She grinned.

"What of you, Holli?" she asked, "What reward would you ask for?"

Before the engineer could respond, Beric spoke up.

"We're getting a little ahead of ourselves aren't we? We haven't even left yet."

He frowned.

"It is a bit early to beginning planning our victory celebration."

Avaryss eyed him; he may have been her blood, but…

She sighed.

"There is nothing wrong with planning ahead," she informed him, "Incentive can go a long way towards finding success."

Her brother did not break his gaze; it remained as hard and cold as her father's had ever been, especially when he was feeling cross.

They are so much alike, she thought.

…Which sometimes made it hard to look him in the eye, that and the memory of destroying the shades of her family during her final trial on Korriban.

They had not been real, but still…it had certainly felt real.

She knew what reward _**he**_ wanted, the full story of what had happened to the rest of their family. Yet, it was a story she could not give him, not yet. She needed him fully focused on the mission, not obsessing on the fact that they were serving the man who had ordered their family's extermination.

It had taken her a long time to get use to that fact, that and the knowledge that this was the only way to get close enough to see Darth Feer answer for what had happened.

He will blame me, she thought, when I do tell him, he will think that I've betrayed our family.

She could not handle that, not right now.

She wanted Beric with her.

She needed him to be with her.

He rose, his gaze cold.

"May I be excused, my lord," he said professionally, his training of how to act around a dark lord ever present.

"You may, lieutenant," she said flatly.

He saluted and left the table.

Avaryss, Holli and Rink watched him go.

Avaryss only just suppressed the snarl.

Damn him, she thought.

Damn him to the void!

"What was that about?" Holli asked, "Lieutenant Lylos isn't usually that harsh.

Rink chuckled.

"I think he needs to find a woman," he suggested, "Might help him relax."

Avaryss rolled her eyes.

She doubted that Beric would do so even if he could. He was after all a child of Andur Lylos, like she was.

She had no interest in pleasure slaves. When she sought out companionship she preferred someone who she actually cared for.

Like Fehl, she thought morosely…

…Or Taya.

That last thought gave her pause.

Taya certainly would not have denied her if she asked for…companionship. She remembered their one night together. How her friend had held her in her arms, and soothed her to sleep. They had done nothing but kiss, but it had been nice to feel safe, to feel…protected.

It had not been the same as it had been with Fehl, the fiery passion was not there, but it had been…nice, that feeling of safety.

For a Sith, safety was often an illusion, threats were everywhere.

She turned to her Holli and Rink.

"Take care of whatever business you have here in the capital," she said, repeating her master's words, "We will be very busy soon."

Both the engineer and the pilot nodded.

Avaryss rose and made for the door, a pair of off duty troopers just barely managed to get out of her way.

She shook her head, her mood much darker than it had been when she entered. Thinking of Beric and her family had left a need in her.

She was about to march into harm's way.

She wanted to feel safe, for one night, at least.

She brought out her comlink.

She knew just who to contact.

IOI

"How long will you be gone?"

Avaryss sighed, her head resting on her friend's bare shoulder.

"As long as it takes," she murmured contently, "my master wants this handled."

Taya nodded as she stroked her back, her touch sending ripples of pleasure down Avaryss' spine. The smell of Taya's skin soothing her as much of the silken sheets of the bed they shared. She had already been in the city when Avaryss had sent word to her, handling a matter for her master Lord Goss.

Avaryss had aided her; it had been a simple matter, reminding one of her master's underlings of their place. It had gone extremely well; they had not even needed to kill the fool.

The excitement had been just what they had needed, they had returned to the apartment where they had spent their first night together. Now they once again lay in each other's arms.

Avaryss sighed contently.

If only Fehl could be here, then…this would have been perfect.

"The alchemist you sent us finally finished the item you requested," The blonde girl informed her. I will have it sent your ship in the morning."

"Thanks," Avaryss sighed, her finger tracing lazy lines over the other girl's heart.

Taya murmured softly, clearly enjoying the sensation.

Avaryss smiled, it was such a simple thing to insure Tay's loyalty.

It was almost too easy.

"How are things going with your master?"

"Good," Taya moaned, though whether she was referring to her master or Avaryss' touch, she could not say.

"He is not a Darth, but that is not necessarily a bad thing."

She looked down fondly into Avy's red eyes.

"I would hate for us to be rivals."

"Enjoy it while you can," Avaryss told her, "when I rise to lead House Feer, you will find yourself elevated as well."

She smiled slyly.

"We will have much to do, when that time comes. I'm sure your family will look proudly upon you when that day comes."

"That will be nice," Taya said leaning in, she kissed her on the lips.

Avaryss returned the kiss, her heart beginning to beat faster. She began to kiss down Taya's throat, maneuvering her friend fully onto her back.

"Avy," the blonde groaned, "Yesss, Avy."

Avaryss sat up; she could see the desire in her friend's eyes. Her breathing was heavy, her back arching slightly.

Almost there, she thought.

Now I seal the deal.

"I want you to keep an eye on House Feer for me while I'm gone," she said, "My master is injured; Bael and Synestra might try something, send word if you hear anything suspicious."

"Yes," Taya gasped, she looked on her friend with barely controlled desire, "Whatever you need."

Avaryss smiled. She ran her finger from Taya' ear and down her jaw, the other girl whimpered, leaning into her touch.

"And continue looking into the matter of Lord Feer's daughter, "His injuries might be enough to convince someone to speak out of turn, if they think he is in a weakened state, but be careful, this is not a game for the faint hearted."

Avy's hand drifted up the Taya's thigh, but slowly, very slowly, and that was all it took.

Her friend looked ready to explode.

"I will do it. I swear," she nodded, "Please…please Avy!"

"Do you need something," Avaryss teased.

"Yes, oh yes."

Avaryss giggled.

_The things she did for power, and the Empire._

"Here," she purred leaning in for another kiss.

"I have just what you need.


	29. Shadow Dancing

**Chapter 29: Shadow Dancing**

"I'm sorry Sith, but this…it cannot be done."

Avaryss' eyes narrowed behind her new mask. The Alchemist had done a fine job fine tuning its effects to her powers; the red crystal built into the bracer on her wrist glowed with her growing anger.

The mask itself resembled her own face, except it was far more angular and harsh; the permanent scowl that it showed did much to suggest how great her anger could be…

…Anger that was growing, even as they spoke.

She leaned in closer bathing the slate grey surface in the crimson light of the hologram.

"I don't like words like "can't" Captain," she said coldly, "They tend to bring out the worst in me."

Captain Torve winced, he bowed his head slightly.

The show of weakness infuriated Avaryss.

We are on the edge of Republic space here, she thought to herself.

The officers posted out here should have a bit more fire in their bellies.

Myrnn 8 would never be considered an attractive place. The night sky may have been beautiful with the huge yellow gas giant Myrnn prime, filling much of the sky, but even that beauty was all but blocked from the smog and smoke rising from the many foundries that made up much of the moon's urban sprawl.

Though she had not yet been able to experience much the city, she could feel the sense of hopelessness that seemed to rise from the people living here. No doubt the Republic would not wish this place to be on their tourism guides.

Avaryss smiled slightly.

Such places were evidence enough of why the Republic needed to fall. The Sith were at least honest about possessing such worlds.

The Republic simply chose to ignore them, and the people that called such worlds their home.

The Sith forces stationed here were not the best. She got the feeling that duty on this rock was considered punishment. They were supposed to be operating a listening post, but from the fear she had sensed since her arrival, it was clear that they had not been doing their duty for quite some time. In fact, she saw a sign hanging above one of the doors, proclaiming this place as a "home for the Empire's forgotten ones."

These men were on the verge of becoming useless to the Empire, and Captain Hol Torve was the worst of all. He was a squirrely, balding man with watery eyes and yellowish skin, the kind of skin that one got from sitting before holo-screens for too long.

She only just stopped herself from sighing.

_And __**this**__ is all I have to work with on this mission_, she thought.

Wonderful!

Even Beric wrinkled his nose at what they were seeing. Her brother was imperial army through and through, but even he was disgusted by these men.

Apathy was a disease here, and these men were on the verge of dying from it.

She suspected that it was for this reason that the Jedi and Republic SIS had had such free reign of movement here for so long. The Sith troopers stationed here were too lost in lamenting their lot rather than truly doing their duty.

_The hopelessness of this world is infectious_, she thought, she would need to keep her guard up, the prize she sought now was here.

_She would not leave until she had acquired it._

She stared again at the hologram that Torve had provided for her, one of the few things the captain **had **done right. The holo was of a large security building in this city's southernmost tip.

It was here that the Jedi had built their enclave, and it was here that the answers she needed had likely been stored.

"It began as a payroll office for the mining guild," Torve had informed her, "When the Empire returned, the Jedi took it over as an enclave, using it as a base, and used it very well during the last war, launching raids against our forces as they advanced, none of those raids amounted to much in themselves, but they stung at our supply lines, and slowed down our advance."

_Resulting in the stalemate that only ended after the sack of Coruscant_, Avaryss thought with a frown.

They blocked us from absolute victory! They stung us like gnats until our advance stopped!

An annoying, yet apparently effective strategy, she had to admit.

"I'm surprised the Empire never destroyed this place," she growled, "The Jedi should never have had a beachhead this close to our territory."

The captain's frown deepened.

"As I said Sith, the Jedi were smart, they never did anything to draw too much attention to what they were doing. It has been a thorn in our side for years now, and since the treaty was signed we have been trying to find a way into this Enclave with little success."

He sighed heavily.

"Security is too tight, and any attempt at something overt would result in our discovery and destruction. As I said, I fear it cannot be done."

"I assume you have tried standard infiltration tactics," she said trying very hard not to let her disgust for the man show, "Surely a technician or servant could…"

"The Jedi bring in their own people, and keep them inside the enclave. Food and water are supplied by the Republic garrison here, and any problems are immediately reported to that garrison. My men and I number only a hundred; the Republic can field five times that, plus whatever Jedi are currently staying within the enclave.

"Have you tried knocking out communications," Beric asked, "Cause distractions in other districts to draw off Republic forces?"

"Any loss of communication or problem in the city results in the entire enclave going under lock down. The security measures installed by the Mining Guild remain intact; the Jedi did nothing to change them."

And you have the floor plans," Avaryss reminded him, "Surely you should have found a weakness by now."

Yes, we have the plans, but they were never classified because the security measures put in place were so tight.

The Captain gestured, showing a floor plan of the main entrance.

"Every one of these entrances are fitted with reinforced blast doors," he said pointing, "those blast doors are made of Mandalorean iron and reinforced with cortosis weave, nothing short of a capital ship's heavy battery will even scratch it."

He looked at Avaryss.

"Even your lightsaber would not be able to cut through before Republic reinforcements arrived."

Avaryss hissed under her breath.

Through the Force she could sense that she had found the place they were looking for, security was far tighter than anything the Jedi or the Republic normally used, at least from her limited experience in fighting them.

She was starting to see why Torve and his men had lost hope, all it took was one angry dark lord to look at this and either order them into a suicide attack, or to execute them for failing to accomplish their mission.

No wonder these men had all but given up.

She had not.

"Do you at least know how many Jedi are in the enclave at any one time? Guard rotations, training schedules, how often and when they communicate with their masters? Anything could help, Captain, anything."

Captain Torve frowned.

"They use standard Republic encryption for most of their transmissions. We broke those codes during the war, but it is safe to say that the Jedi are using something more subtle in their communications. As for the Jedi themselves there is usually no less than seven Jedi in the enclave at all times. We've observed Master Pondar interacting with them. Most do not stay long, but the number never drops below more than five."

"All knights I assume?" Avaryss said scratching her masked chin thoughtfully.

"They're at least three Padawans stationed here as well. They are students, we think, learning at feet of Master Pondar and his acolytes. Their master's bring them here, leave, and most of the time come back a few days later. Assuming that the Cathar has taught them what they need to know."

Avaryss considered that.

That was one interpretation, personally, she preferred her own.

So…they come here, Jedi working with the conspiracy, then they train for a bit with Master Pondar before receiving their marching orders from elsewhere. When going into Sith space, the master might choose to leave the apprentice behind, either to receive future orders, or maybe to hide the fact that the master is breaking treaty."

It made sense, considering what she had experienced in the past.

Again her mind drifted back to Butcher's Clearing, and the Nautolan Padawan she had slain.

Perhaps the order learned from that mistake.

Perhaps they were no longer so quick to throw their students into danger.

Something tickled in the back of Avaryss' mind, a slight shift in the Force.

She was getting closer.

"What about the access codes," Beric volunteered, if you have their communication."

"All codes are changed by Master Pondar, and all on a random basis. He never speaks of the pass codes during his transmissions, we surmise that they are disbursed verbally, and only when a Jedi needs to leave the conclave for some reason, and the Jedi do not venture out often."

Avaryss growled.

This was pointless!

What they were searching for was here, she was certain of it. Yet…they could not reach it. The Jedi recognize the threat they faced, they knew their enemy.

They were not likely to make some foolish mistake.

It was at that moment that Rink spoke up; he had stayed quiet up until now.

"Maybe we can just go up to the door and knock," he suggested, "I doubt they would expect a Sith to coming knocking to barrow a cup of tea."

Avaryss glared at the pilot.

His suggestion was not helping, it was…was…

Again the Force whispered in her ear, it was a slight thing, barely recognizable.

The young Sith smiled.

"That is not such a bad idea," she purred, her eyes flashing hungrily.

Yes, the more she thought about it the more she like the idea.

If they could not force their way in, or slip in undetected, perhaps they could get invited in.

It would be a challenge sure, but…

When was anything worth doing easy?

Both Beric and Captain Torve looked at her like she had lost her mind.

Perhaps she had.

She giggled.

That was the reason that this might just work.

Forgive me Sith," the Captain said, "I've seen Sith Masters do amazing things, but I fear this is even beyond even the greatest of your order."

""We will see," Avaryss purred.

"You think that the Cathar is simply going to open the door for you?" Beric said, "A Jedi is not some weak minded thug from Nar Shadda."

"Heeey," Rink piped in.

"I wasn't talking to you, street rat," her brother growled back.

"Peace," Avaryss said raising her hand, "both of you."

All three men fell silent.

She should have been feeling lost, but instead, Avaryss felt rejuvenated, excited even.

"You are right, Lieutenant," she said, "the Cathar would never willingly open the door for us, one of the Padawans however…"

Her grin turned shark like behind her mask.

"That is another story entirely."

"One of the students," Torve said, still sounding unsure.

"You think you might be able to turn one?"

Maybe," Avaryss thought, more and more she felt sure that this was indeed the way to go.

Yes, this was it.

Yes.

She found herself reflecting on the words of Darth Hecaetus, the Dark Lord who had been known as the corrupter. He had been quite skilled in seducing young or weak willed Jedi to the dark side; he considered it both his work and his greatest joy.

Tales of his exploits, his various conquests had been a source of inspiration to her during her training. Her first and most favored mentor, Master Adaz had been a student of Hecaetus, and charged Avaryss with continuing his grand work.

Perhaps the time had finally come to start doing exactly that.

"You said you have the Jedi's security cameras?" she asked Torve.

"Of course, Sith, but…"

"And I trust you have made recordings of the Jedi's training methods, their interaction with their students?"

"Of course, but…"

"Good," Avaryss said nodding; a shiver of excitement ran down her spine.

This…this was going to be fun!

"I will need to see those recordings, captain, all of them. I want to examine the Jedi' training methods for myself, and see how their students react to those methods. Hopefully we will get lucky."

Beric shot her a curious look.

"You hope to turn one of the Jedi to our cause?"

"I do," she replied.

"That is impossible, Sith," Torve said, "Jedi are incorruptible."

Avaryss almost laughed.

How little the Captain truly understood.

Whether they admitted it or not, the Jedi who were carrying out this conspiracy were playing very close to an abyss. They were shadow dancing, skating just on the edge of where Jedi ended and Sith began.

A senior master might be able to do that and not fall over that edge, but a student, a Padawan, especially one left angry by the death of their friends at the temple years ago…

They might just be what Avaryss needed to complete her mission, and take her next step on the dark path.

"I've heard that only a master can turn a Jedi to the dark," Beric said.

She turned to him.

"You doubt my abilities?"

"I think you might be biting off more than you can chew," he replied.

She laughed lightly.

"Do not underestimate me, or the power of the dark side."

She turned to the Captain.

"Ready your troops for a full force attack on the enclave. We will strike as soon as I have turned our pawn to my way of thinking."

The captain did not look convinced.

He shook his head again.

"I fear this will not work Sith. We should…ACK!"

Avaryss raised her hand, her fingers closing into a claw.

The Sith Captain gasped for breath, his eyes bulged.

Avaryss world suddenly took on a rosy glow, her new mask and bracer responding to her anger, and her lashing out at the cowardly captain.

Her red eyes narrowed.

"I'm about to make you a hero, captain," she informed him, "For too long, this enclave has been a source of embarrassment for the Empire. In a few days' time, you will be known as the Sith officer that finally cracked this problem, or…I can crack every bone in your neck right now."

She smiled coldly.

"Do you want to be a hero, or do you want to be a corpse? The choice is yours."

The man's face was starting to turn red; soon it would turn to blue, then purple, then black.

He croaked out an answer.

"What was that," she asked, "I cannot hear over the gurgling noises?"

"Her….hero," he managed to gasp, "A…a hero."

Avaryss grinned.

"As you wish."

She released her grip on him. The man flopped down heavily against the table, gulping in the air.

Beric shot her a dirty look, clearly he did not approve of her treatment of a fellow soldier, well…that was just too bad.

The weak existed to serve the strong, sometimes they needed to be reminded of that.

She had just…reminded him.

Avaryss went around so that she could whisper in the captain's ear. When she spoke her voice was a soft as velvet, but also dripping with venom.

"Make sure you don't…_**choke**_ on your insecurities, captain."

The man nodded, still trying to catch his breath, he no longer met her gaze; he was completely and utterly cowed by her.

Excellent!

"Have every recording of the Padawans in that enclave sent to my quarters here," she said, "I need to find the one who will serve us best, and when I do, we will both be rewarded for this great victory."

"It…it will be done, my lord," the captain promised, "Everything will be as you ask."

"Good," she said turning her black cloak flaring behind her. Two of the captain's peon soldiers could not get out of the way quick enough as she passed.

Beneath her new mask she was grinning.

The thought of corrupting a Jedi to her side excited her, and, who knew, this Jedi may know exactly who was behind the conspiracy, which would not only shorten her path to glory, but build on the legend that was Avaryss.

Beware the corrupter, she thought, beware the rightful heir of Hecaetus.

She laughed.

Oh, how her enemies would tremble.


	30. The Game

**Chapter 30: The Game**

"So how do you turn a Jedi to the dark side?"

Avaryss chuckled. Holli's question was to be expected from a mundane, to someone who had never felt the Force rushing through them, to feel its power lift you up and grant you gifts far beyond what should have been possible.

_Bringing someone over into the darkness was not something so easily…quantified._

"According to Darth Hecaetus, turning someone depends entirely on them, their desires, hopes, and dreams. A true Sith is able to understand those desires, understand them, and know how best to offer them to another, to show them the…advantages of turning from the light and embracing _**true**_ power."

"And are you a true Sith?" Holli asked.

Avaryss laughed.

She liked to think so.

It was not all desire of course, but that was a big part of it. It was also about understanding a person's limits; you needed to know how to turn pride into arrogance, and insecurity into fear.

In short, you needed to find their breaking point, not an easy thing to be sure.

"This will work, Ensign," she promised, "Trust me."

Holli nodded, if she believed, Avaryss could not say, all that she did know was that being Sith was a choice.

Now…she had to convince her prey to make that choice.

IOI

She had spent the last few days watching hour after hour of recorded video of the Jedi Master's and their Padawans, now…she thought she had found the perfect person to let them into the Jedi Enclave. Captain Torve and his men were on standby, when things started to happen they would happen fast.

If the Force was with them, this operation should be over in a matter of days.

All Sith troopers stationed on this world were being recalled to their safe house, a small warehouse just outside the foundry district, when they did begin to move, it would need to be a lightning strike, a dagger straight into the heart of the Jedi Enclave.

She hoped that Torve and his men were up to the task.

In the meantime, she had the Captain and his men continue to monitor the Enclave. They needed to know when the Jedi that she had chosen was away from her fellows, this first step would work best if the girl was alone.

It was the least the soldiers could do, they were fairly useless for anything else, at least until she had found a way inside.

As for the turning itself, Avaryss trusted only her crew. Holli would handle slicing into the Jedi's comms, Rink had gotten her the various props she had needed to sell her deception, and Beric, he got to put on the finishing touches, all in all, she thought he had been most pleased to do his part, once he got over the shock of what she was asking him to do.

The two of them went off alone, this was not something for the others to see, and certainly not the common soldiers that served on this miserable rock. She could sense Beric curiosity, but also his military calm, you could say what you wanted about him, but he was a good soldier.

That is why she knew she could count on him for what came next.

"You have to hit me," she had said, "I have to look like I've been hunted and on the run for days, and that I've survived several rough scrapes."

Her brother's eyes narrowed.

"Are you sure that this is what you _**need**_ to do?" he asked, "You are certain that this is going to work?"

"Nothing is certain," she shrugged, "But from what I've seen of these Padawans, this will be the best way to sell the story."

Still…Beric did not look convinced.

"I'm not comfortable with this?" he complained.

Avaryss rolled her eyes.

Perhaps she should not have been surprised, a Sith soldier was trained and drilled for two purposes, one to kill the enemy, and the other was to defend their Sith Masters. Add into it that they were family on top of that, no wonder Beric Lylos hesitated.

"Would you rather that I do this myself? Would you rather that I hurt _myself_? I will, but…given your training you know how to hurt without leaving any lasting damage, I cannot say the same. I just need to look battered and bruised, I think that you can do that, yes?"

Her brother sighed.

"Yeah," he admitted reluctantly, "I can."

Avaryss smiled she leaned in slightly.

"Then do it," she said, "You have my permission, feel free to mess me up. I'm sure, after everything that has happened; the idea is not entirely repellant."

He stood there, watching her coldly. Clearly he did not like the idea of striking his little sister.

"You know what _**you**_ want," she reminded him, "It can only be yours when this mission is completed. Hitting me is only another step on that path. Do it, brother, hit me; hit the witch that is hiding the truth from you. Strike me for denying what is yours by right. Do not be weak, father would not have hesitated, by holding back you are disappointing him, and embarrassing me. You are unfit to be a member of our family. You are..."

"Sister," he said.

"Yeah?"

"What is that?" he asked, pointing.

She turned her head slightly.

His fist struck her hard across the face; she staggered into an empty shipping crate, but did not fall.

She looked up angrily, fury building in her eyes; she felt warmth on her lips, the salty taste of a bloody nose."

Anger quickly faded, replaced by amusement.

_Corruption was not that hard, not even when you did it to your own family._

She grinned.

"See, I knew you could do it," she laughed, "I thought you would enjoy that."

He shrugged.

"It was…therapeutic."

"Again," she ordered.

"Are you going to tell me what happened on Oridanna?"

"No."

He struck her again, this time, he did very little to pull his punch. Again she staggered back.

She laughed openly.

"You hit like a girl, come on!"

She smiled at him through bloody lips.

"Let's see what you can really do."

He struck her again and again.

She finally fell back coughing, she spat blood on the floor, but she barely felt the pain. She had been nearly tortured to death once, and survived her master's special brand of punishment.

Compared to that, a few shots to face were nothing, they were not truly pain.

_There was no pain where the power lies._

She was Sith, a servant of the dark side.

Pain was an ally.

Her brother paused, she could see the conflict in his eyes, the concern for his little sister, and the anger at the Sith sorceress that kept things from him.

She found the conflict…delicious.

"That's…that's better," she said touching her bruised cheek.

"You wanted it to look real," he reminded her.

"That I did," she said, now bruised and bloody. Most people would think her some sort of victim, which was the whole point.

What did a Jedi do, if not aid a victim?

"Anything else sister?

Yes," she said sweetly.

"One more time."

IOI

By the time that they were ready to reach out to their little pawn, Avaryss looked like the perfect mess. The clothes that Rink had found for her were ratty and dirty. They looked like she had spent the last week sleeping in one of the alley ways near the foundry, which was, of course, what she wanted. Add into that the bruising on her face, the split lip, the bloody nose; Avaryss looked quite the pathetic little waif.

Which was…of course, exactly what she wanted.

She only permitted her own crew to see her this way. She did not want to give Captain Torve or any of his men the idea that she was weak. Whenever she would meet with them, she wore her mask, heavy robes, and hooded cloak.

Rink glanced up from the pad he had been reading when she and Beric entered the room.

"You look like poo-doo, boss."

She laughed.

"Thank you, Rink," she said dryly, "I'm sure you say that to all the girls."

Holli looked up at her with a concerned frown.

"Are you okay, my lord?"

She waved the engineer off.

"I will be fine, once this matter is concluded."

She turned to Holli.

"Have we isolated the Padawans comm frequency?"

"I believe so, my lord," Holli said, "It matches the signal that the Captain provided us, as long as he is not pulling something, we should be ready to make contact."

"Excellent," Avaryss said.

She turned to her brother.

"Are you ready lieutenant?"

"Ready and able, my lord," he said with a satisfied grin.

Good, she thought.

Then we are ready!

It is time to start the show. "Holli approached her, holding up a data pad, the grainy image of one of the Jedi students flashed on the screen.

"Remember, the Padawan we are targeting is Quenya Sai Malloc," Holli began.

"Of course I remember," Avaryss said confidently.

"I chose her didn't I?"

She stared down at the image of the Jedi; Quenya Sai Malloc was a Devish female from Devaron system. The Devish were an…interesting looking people, the males were mostly bald with pointed ears, short stubby horns, and teeth that could either be razor sharp, or flat like a human. Their females lacked the horns but did have small round spots on their head where their horns would be; they had same reddish skin, and pointed ears but, on a whole, were more attractive than their male counterparts.

This particular Devish had a rather interesting history, or rather, her family did. According to Torve's recordings, the Sai Malloc line was quite storied among the Jedi Order, several of its number achieving great fame and prestige. The girl's uncle Vilmar Sai Malloc had been a hero during the battle of Alderaan, he had died defending a pass from Sith troopers, a sacrifice that had allowed Republic reinforcements the time they needed to catch up with the Sith main body and help decimate it, saving Alderaan from falling under Sith control. Then there had been the girl's great uncle Ardu Sai Malloc, who had single handedly, bested a Hutt crime lord in the Commenor, saving several villages there and breaking an attempt by the Hutt Cartel to establish a foot hold in the Correllian System. There were several other famous family members as well, but Torve's recordings made no mention of their names.

Not that it mattered, Avaryss had her foothold. Now she would exploit it.

Yes, the girl was heir to a great Jedi Legacy, and from what Avaryss had seen and heard on the recordings was a poor excuse for an heir indeed.

Both Master Pondar, and the girl's own master, a Jedi named Darzu pushed the girl very hard, she was proud of her legacy, but at the same time seemed to be struggling with it, as well.

As Avaryss had watched the recordings she had counted no less than four instances where the girl seemed resentful of the two Jedi masters. She tried to carry her legacy, but lived in the constant shadow of it. The master's had said things like: A Malloc should know better," or "Your great uncle would not make such a base mistake."

Avaryss had grinned as she watched the training sessions.

The girl had skill, she could see that. Her understanding of both Makashi and Shien were good, not as good as Avaryss' perhaps, but that could not be faulted.

She got the feeling that the masters did not understand their young charge, the pressure that she was under, the desire to live up to such a storied bloodline. Her place in that bloodline made her both arrogant and at times, caused her to think herself better than the masters and her fellow students. That arrogance got in the way of her training, she showed up late to training sessions, and had on occasion spoken down to her fellow Padawans. She was not well liked, that was clear.

In short the girl was not a perfect Jedi candidate, but she was, possibly, a very useful pawn.

Avaryss would see just how valuable soon enough.

Her comlink beeped, when she answered it, Torve informed her that the girl was now outside the Jedi Enclave. She had been sent on an errand by Master Pondar.

Avaryss thanked him, and dismissed the Captain quickly.

It was time to start the show.

"Get out of sight," she ordered her crew, "The girl must think me alone."

She waited until they were well hidden, and well out of line of sight for the small holo communicator, and while she did, she slipped into character. Her posture became hunched and nervous, her eyes wide and darting, her hair both messy and dirty. She had seen fear on the face enough of her enemies to mimic it for this gambit.

She took a deep breath and centered herself, reaching out to the dark side, invoking its strength.

Now is the time, she thought.

Here we go.

She activated her communicator.

The game began.

It took several seconds for the device to find the right frequency, but then the tiny image took shape, forming into the shape of the Devish Padawan.

"Yes master," she said quickly, "Do you…"

The girl paused; she stared into Avaryss' face.

"What? Who are you? How did you get this frequency?"

Avaryss looked around her, like she expected some enemy to jump her any second.

"Are…are you her?" she said in a small timid voice, "Are you Malloc, Quenya Sai Malloc?"

"I…I'm she, who is this?"

"Praise the Force," Avaryss said with a nervous laugh, "I had hoped the frequency I stole would enable me to reach you, but…I…I almost lost hope."

Avaryss brought the holo-comm closer; she wanted the girl to see the fear in her eyes, the desperation.

"You must help me, please, I…I have nowhere else to turn, I'm being hunted. You must help me! Please you must!"

The alien girl blinked, she was clearly caught off guard; it was likely that no one had ever come to her begging for help.

"Of…of course, a Jedi would never turn away someone in need. Who are you? Who is after to you?"

Forgive me, great Jedi," she said bowing her head, "My…my name is Avaryss, I'm…I'm a Sith apprentice, and…and I need your help. Please…please don't disconnect! Please don't go!"

"You're a Sith," the girl's expression turned cold, cold and distrustful, "I…whatever game you're playing it won't work."

"I'm playing _**no**_ game. I…I'm being hunted. My master…I…I failed him on my last mission. He…he said my life was forfeit, that my connection to the light makes me weak! He…he is going to kill me! Please, I…I have nowhere else to turn!"

Behind her Beric let a heavy crate fall, the sound was loud enough to be heard even on the hyper comm. A frightened cry escaped Avaryss lips; she spun around almost dropping the communicator.

"What was that," The Jedi said, Avaryss could hear the concern in voice, despite the fact that she had identified herself as an enemy.

"The hunters are getting close," Avaryss gasped, " I…I have no more time, please Master Jedi, you must help me, no one else will, please, please, please!"

Quenya Sai Malloc looked confused, on one the person begging for help was an enemy, on the other, and it was another person begging for help.

Avaryss understood that confusion; it was, after all, a part of her plan.

"You need help, why come to me? Why not contact Master Pondar or Darzu?"

"I…I did not know them, but…but I did know you, your name…it…it carries great weight in the Sith Empire."

"It…it does?" the girl said, surprise showing on her Devish face.

"Oh Yes," Avaryss said quickly, "My master fought on Alderaan during the war, he told me tales of your uncle, how his power held the Empire's advance in check. He…he was a true champion of the light. I…I hoped that you were the same, only a true Jedi can protect me, I can trust no one else."

Despite the size of the hologram, Avaryss could see the girl was thinking about what she was hearing, weighing the risk, trying to decide if the pleas of her enemy were genuine.

She had flattered the girl; stroke her ego, now she had to offer her something more, she had to fatten the prize a bit.

"My…my master is a Darth, he…he is planning something, something big, I managed to take one of his datapads when I fled. I can't…can't break the encryption, but it is big, he made that quite clear."

Avaryss smiled nervously.

"It should serve your order well, not to mention be quite a prize for one such as you. It is yours if you help me. I offer it freely, that and myself. I…I want asylum, to learn the ways of the light. I'm told that your order does not fear it, that they might be able to teach me."

"It…it is a Jedi's duty to instruct others on the ways of the light. I…I could help you, and a datapad you say? Do…do you have it with you?"

Again Avaryss had to resist the urge to smile; she could hear the hunger in the girl's voice, the ambition.

If she brought back secret war plans to her masters, who could say how they would reward her.

Avaryss wanted her focusing on that alone, that advancement.

It would blind her to anything else.

"I hid it," Avaryss said quickly, "I…I will bring it to you, if…if you agree to meet with me. I will surrender myself to you and you alone."

"Yes," the girl said, "I could…"

She hesitated, perhaps having received a warning from the Force.

She looked right at Avaryss.

"Perhaps, perhaps I should bring Master Pondar into this, he is a great Jedi, he could…"

"NO!" Avaryss shouted.

"Sith?"

"I said NO. I've…I heard my master talking about spies within the Jedi Order, particularly on this moon. If one gets word that I'm here, I'm dead, and many others as well, my master is ruthless. He…he would destroy half this city if it meant killing me. You…you can say nothing to no one, it…it is not safe. N the name of all that is good, say nothing, please, I beg you. I…"

"I think I saw something," Beric shouted, his voice was loud enough for the Devish Jedi to hear.

Again Avaryss looked over her shoulder, she whimpered with mock fear.

"I…I can't stay here any longer. I must move on!"

"Wait," the Jedi girl said, "Send me your coordinates, I…I can help you."

"There she is," Beric shouted.

"Open fire," Rink called out.

They fired their blasters over Avaryss' head, she drew her lightsaber.

"I will send word," she shouted into the communicator, "please master Jedi, HELP ME!"

Avaryss let the communicator fall. The Devish girl's image wavered but came back.

"Sith? Sith?! What is going on?! Can you…"

Beric jumped out and stepped on the communicator, destroying it, on the other end, the girl would have seen only a man in Sith armor pursuing the one she had been speaking to.

Avaryss said nothing more until she was sure the comm unit was destroyed. Only then did she stand upright and dust herself off.

She smiled at her brother and Mister Rink.

"Well done, gentlemen," she purred, "Very well done indeed."

Rink chuckled.

"You are not a bad actor, boss," Rink acknowledged, "Who knows, if this whole Lord of the Sith thing doesn't work out you could try your hand at drama on Alderaan."

"It is something to think about Mister Rink," She replied, "She turned to her brother.

"What do **you** think? Do you think she bought it?"

Beric shrugged.

"You have laid out the bait, now we will see if she bites."

The young Sith nodded thoughtfully.

She had laid things on a little thick, she acknowledged that, but at the same time, she had needed to. She had played both to the girl's ego, and her desire for advancement.

If the recording of her had been correct, the girl hungered for the chance to prove herself, to prove that she was better than what her master's thought, to justify her pride in herself.

Avaryss had just given her that opportunity.

She would wait a day or two, let the girl think about what she had said; make her worry that the opportunity that she had discovered was lost.

Then...she would receive word over a private channel, a location somewhere not far from the enclave, close enough that the girl would feel safe, but isolated enough that Avaryss would be able to work her magic.

The young Sith shivered with anticipation.

Destroying an enemy with a lightsaber was fun, but this…this had its charms too.

Deception, cunning and trickery, they were part of the dark side, weapons that were just as valuable as a lightsaber.

She would now get a chance to see how well she wielded them.

If the girl did as she asked and came alone, things would as they should be, if she did not come or brought back up…well.

Avaryss smiled hungrily.

If the girl did not come, she was back to square one, but if she brought back up, that could be useful too.

At the very least they would be able to get their hands on an access code. If they could take a prisoner alive that could useful too.

Quenya Sai Malloc was not the only Jedi that could turn to the darkness.

Who knew, they might just get their hands on someone better, someone stronger in the Force. In the meantime though, they simply had to wait.

The game was on.

Now…they had to wait for the next move.

What would the Jedi do?

"Your move Padawan, she thought to herself.

"Your move."


	31. Entrance

**Chapter 31: Entrance**

"Are you ready to play your part, Mister Rink?"

Avaryss smiled as she watched the young Jedi moving down the busy street below. The Sith and her ally stood on a small balcony of an apartment complex not far from the Jedi Enclave,

The one thing that struck her was how small the Jedi looked; she seemed dwarfed by her brown robe. She moved through the crowded street in a fashion that Avaryss found distasteful, moving out of the way for any fool or brute blocking her path.

The girl did not carry herself like one who was strong in the Force. She could sense the girl's power, even from here. Unlike Avaryss it was clear that no one had ever taught the girl the techniques used to mask her presence.

She shook her head.

No wonder the girl had said nothing about their initial conversation; she seemed like someone who was just waiting for something great to fall into her lap. That her family name destined her for greatness, and that she did not have to seek it out.

The young Sith smiled.

She could definitely use that to her advantage.

Torve's watchers had confirmed that the girl had told no one about their conversation. The Jedi Enclave showed no signs of alert, and any conversations between the girl and her masters had had nothing to do with a Sith contacting her. It truly seemed that the girl had chosen to keep the matter to herself, seeking to solve the issue without aid, and prove herself to her fellow Jedi.

If that was the case…then all was well.

The plan was working, at least it seemed to be, now all that remained was to contact the Jedi again, draw her deeper into their scheme, that is where Mister Rink came in.

She glanced over at him; the former street rat had changed out of his uniform, choosing a look similar to the one he had been wearing when they had first met.

He seemed more comfortable on this world, Alderaan had not been to his liking, Urban sprawls were familiar to him, and he had adapted quickly, proving quite useful in setting up the next stage of her plan.

Once again she found that she had made the right choice in bringing him into her circle. He fit in well with the people that lived here; the girl would have no reason to doubt him, provided he play his part well.

He had not responded to her question, so she repeated it.

Are you ready, Mister Rink?"

He nodded, but his expression suggested that he was…not as ready as his Sith needed him to be.

She frowned slightly.

"Is there a problem?"

"No," he said keeping an eye on their target, the Jedi girl had bumped into a large Aqualish, one who clearly did not understand what the brown robe meant.

He pushed her and started to get belligerent, only the intervention of his companions stopped him, Avaryss could not hear what the girl said, but it was clear that it had not worked.

_Poor thing,_ she thought.

_She truly doesn't understand how truly wondrous she is._

_If she was smart, she might just live long enough to find out._

Rink shook his head; he turned to her a look of concern on his face.

"Are you sure about this one, Boss?"

"You doubt me?" she inquired, his reaction surprised her.

"No," he said quickly, not wishing to anger her, "It is just…this one…she doesn't seem worthy of your attention."

Avaryss snorted with amusement.

"Do not let what you see with your eyes fool you. I can sense the potential in this one. If she is given time, she might become a threat, not just to me, but to the empire itself."

A shiver of anticipation ran down her spine.

"We need to make sure that she does not have that chance."

Rink nodded, but again she felt apprehension, perhaps the street rat had a breaking point that she had finally reached…

..Perhaps it would soon become necessary to discard him.

That thought did not appeal to her; she had developed a fondness for the young scoundrel. It would not save him if he became a burden, but…

…it would smart, removing him.

She would, however, take little pleasure in doing so.

The Sith teachings were quite clear on such matters: When something ceased to be useful, you got rid of it. Nothing and no one could not be allowed to negatively affect your plans.

She was prepared to do that, but at the same time she took one last chance.

He had proved useful; it would be a shame to discard him out of turn.

"This girl is not your Twilek," she said, "Think of Tia; she is why you are doing this. You have your whole life ahead of you, a life that you can share with your girl. Plus, don't forget who and what the girl down there is. Remember, she is a Jedi, one of the very same people that handed you over to Republic intelligence, and sent you away to be tortured."

She turned her gaze upon him trying to make it as cold and as hard as she could.

Do not let the innocence you see fool you, it is an act…"

Avaryss grinned.

"…No Jedi is innocent."

Rink nodded again, she felt a slight shift in him, one closer to what she needed.

She would still need to keep a close eye on him, but for the moment, he seemed receptive to what she had said.

Hopefully, he would stay that course.

"So I just go down there, deliver the hologram to her and get out?"

"That is all," Avaryss replied, "We don't want the girl taking too close of a look at us, not yet. We just have to convince her to let me into the Jedi Enclave, once that is done, Captain Torve and his men will do the rest."

"You trust them, Torve and the rest of his flock of nerfs?"

Of course not, but they do understand the price of failure."

She gave him an evil smile.

"Remember what happened to Captain Slynn."

"Right," Rink said nodding, he took a deep breath, looking like he was trying to psyche himself up; Avaryss understood that, she often played her own mental games before facing an enemy.

She would not fault Mister Rink for doing something similar.

"Say little," she advised, "Just make sure she gets the holo."

He nodded and took off to fulfill her desires.

Avaryss watched him go, rolling her eyes when he was out of sight.

Rink had his uses, they were limited, but they were there.

Don't go soft; the darkness whispered in her ear, you know what must be done if it comes to it.

That she did, but she would not kill Rink on a lark. He had served her loyally so far.

That bought some consideration on her part, she supposed.

She watched as he made his way through the crowd. The young Jedi stood out like a beacon to her through the Force. Avaryss was a bit surprised that her masters had not taught her how to hide her presence through the Force. Surely they must have realized that the Empire was watching, it seemed foolish to her, the lack of care the Jedi took, were they simply without cunning, or did they count on their toys to protect them?

Rink waited until the girl was almost upon him when he stumbled and fell to his knees, the Malloc girl went to his aid kneeling down and doing her best to help him up.

Avaryss watched the two with curious eyes, wondering what the street rat was saying to the girl, she thought it too risky for Rink to where a microphone, and it was too loud out here for her hear, even using Force technique to enhance her hearing would not have helped.

Reaching out with the force was risky, if the girl sensed her presence, she might wonder why the Sith, who supposedly needed her help, was spying on the one she hired to contact her.

She watched the exchange between the two. The Padawan was not much older than she was, maybe a year or two younger. Though she could not listen in, she could sense the girl's emotions, emotions that shown like a beacon, what she sensed, surprised her.

This Quenya Sai Malloc was…intrigued by her former street rat. She sensed interest even a sense of…attraction.

The discovery made Avaryss chuckle.

So much for the vaunted Jedi self-control.

Still, she supposed that she should not have been surprised. She knew from her own experiences during her training that emotion could get in the way. Perhaps the Devish girl had a thing for bad boys, Avaryss could relate.

Her Fehl had been the baddest boy on Korriban, though she had enjoyed physical pleasure since his death, it had not been the same, she had never lost herself to her passions as she had with her pure blooded Sith betrothed.

Perhaps Fehl had spoiled her for all other men? Rink was attractive, she acknowledged that, but she saw that attraction as simple art appreciation. She recognized it, but it held no sway over her heart.

Even her liaisons with Urtel and Taya had been mere distractions. Urtel had been all about pleasure, and Taya was about keeping her friend's loyalty.

She was still capable of feeling lust, but the loss she had suffered had tainted it, diminished it.

It felt like that part of her was gone…perhaps forever.

It annoyed her that she could no longer feel the intense passion that Fehl had awakened in her. Though, maybe that was for the best, her relationship with Fehl had nearly been the death of her.

She still intended to bring him back, but wondered if it would be the same? Would their passions be as intense as they had been during those few sweet weeks on Korriban?

She could not say for certain, only that she remained committed to her goal.

Once she had dealt with this Republic conspiracy, she would be free to carry out her own plans.

Fehl _**would**_ live again, she had foreseen it, and when he did, the galaxy would open itself up them, it would be theirs for the taking.

Nothing succeeded like success, and once she and her master were hailed as Heroes of the Empire, not even the Dark Council would be able to deny their will. That victory would free her up to seek out her own desires. Even her own master would not be able to deny her that.

She watched the girl take her leave of Rink, noticing that she had slipped something into one of the pockets in her brown robe. Avaryss nodded, pleased that her pilot had carried out his mission.

It seemed that he had not exhausted his usefulness to her yet. She would stay her hand for now, and permit him to continue living.

Rink returned with his usual swagger, that cocky smile on his face.

She kept her cool and said nothing until he was at her side.

She was nothing if not patient

"I take it everything went well?" she asked dryly.

"Seemed to," he replied, that smile of his never fading from his face, "That one seems really eager to meet you, tried to get me to tell her if I knew if you were okay?"

She was eager to get the secrets that Avaryss had promised, if there was any concern that was more the reason than anything else.

Still he had verified that the plan was working.

That pleased her.

"What did you tell her?" she asked, "About me"

"I said you were okay, when you gave me the holo," he said with a shrug.

"Beyond that, I said I didn't know."

"Good," Avaryss replied, "Very good."

She could not hide her elation.

Let the Jedi's concern grow; let her worry that all that I offered her has been lost.

Avaryss understood what desire was like; to pursue a goal until it became the only thing that truly mattered.

No doubt the little Jedi thought what the Sith offered would make her a hero; put her in the same place with her storied ancestors.

It would Avaryss supposed, just not for the reason that the girl thought.

It must have been hard, being trapped in the shadow of your betters, given time; the Devish might have blazed her own trail, contributed to the history that her family had built. It sounded like her masters were interested in offering her that chance, perhaps they were too caught up in their work against the Sith to see the damage that they were doing?

So much the better for her, if that was the case.

Avaryss cared nothing about the girl's history, only what she could do for the Sith now.

"We are done here," she informed Rink, "We must make sure the others are ready to move."

"How long do you think this is going to take?" he asked her.

"As long as it needs to," she said a hungry expression on her face.

If what she suspected was true, these Jedi had been attacking the Empire for too long.

She was most eager to see the tables turn, both that and to test herself against a true Jedi Master.

If she could kill a master of the light, would a master of the dark be that much harder? Yes, the dark side was superior, but that did not mean that there was nothing to learn in destroying a servant of the light.

It would be a challenge; that was for sure, one that she intended to meet head on.

She had learned much at Darth Feer's feet, both from him, and through her own research.

The time had come to test just how much she had learned, how far these Jedi fools were willing to go.

_We will see soon enough_, she thought.

_We shall see._

IOI

The holo she had sent requested that the Jedi meet her in a park not far from the enclave. It was close enough that the Jedi would feel safe, but far enough away that Captain Torve's men would spot a trap before it had a chance to be fully set up.

Avaryss doubted it was necessary to take such precautions, but did so anyway; chance and the Force favored the prepared. She stood in the shadow of a large pine tree, awaiting the arrival of Quenya Sai Malloc.

She was grateful that she chose to arrive early.

It gave her a chance to mentally prepare for what was to come.

The park itself was a poor excuse for such a place. The ground was littered with dry dead needles from the tree she was standing upon. The grass looked stiff and dying, what should have been a small stream running through the park had been turned into some drainage canal for one of the many foundries here.

Corrupt and dying, Avaryss thought as she shook her head.

It was much like the Republic itself.

When the Sith Empire finally committed to renewed and total war, the Republic would fall, and places like this would find themselves under new management, **superior** management.

The sound of a snapping branch caused her to whirl around, but it simply part of a dying tree, breaking away under the weight of a sickly looking bird.

Do not lose your nerve now, the darkness whispered.

Stay calm.

Stay ready.

Avaryss pulled the ragged cloak she was wearing tighter; a slight breeze rustled the dying plant life. She used her abilities to keep her presence in the Force small, hopefully unnoticeable. If she was wrong, Beric was not far away, he had hunkered down in a nest, with his weapon in sniper configuration.

If the Jedi tried anything cute, they would find that she was not without back up. She watched the entrance to park waiting for her little pawn to show herself.

She hoped that the Jedi had not wised up, and thought better of coming here. The message she had sent insisted that the girl come alone. Avaryss was only willing to trust her. Only a Malloc, so steeped in the successes of the light could be trusted.

The Sith hoped that she had not laid things on too thick. There was a fine line between stroking a person's ego, and being too much of a bootlick; seeming too eager to make things happens.

"Sith?"

She nearly jumped.

The Jedi emerged from the shadows, to her right. It seemed that she had not used the park's main entrance, probably jumped the fence and came in from across the dying greenery.

So she was not entirely trusting, good…

…That was an excellent start

"You are being the Sith, yes?" the girl repeated.

"Master Jedi?" she said meekly.

Quenya Sai Malloc nodded.

For the first time Avaryss got a good look at the girl, her dark ruddy red skin, her freckled nose, the two round spots on her head where her horns should have been. Her eyes were a light shade of yellow, not Sith eyes, just the natural color of her people.

The Jedi paused, staying just out of reach if Avaryss drew her weapon.

"I have done as you were asking," the Padawan said, "I have come alone."

Again she showed caution, good.

Avaryss smiled.

"Praise the Force," she said, "I had feared one of my master's agents had found me again."

The Jedi took a step towards her.

"You are being safe now," she said, "I will be bringing you back to the Enclave. Master Pondar will be able to be helping you. You will not be needing to fear your master's assassins."

"Thank you, "Avaryss said her eyes wide with false innocence and gratitude.

"I…I've been afraid for so long."

"The Sith are being very hard on their initiates, it is amazing that they are having any willing to take up their training."

Fool girl, Avaryss thought.

You speak of something you don't know and can't possibly understand.

The dark side is worth it, dangers and all.

How else would we achieve true greatness?

She used her powers, reaching out with the Force, warping the space around them. This was yet another spell she had learned from the scroll she had found in the forgotten tomb on Korriban. It was used to confuse a Force user's danger sense, to dissipate the feeling of danger until it seemed simply the normal background dangers you found in any place in nature.

It would work better in a city such as this, Avaryss had realized, the hopelessness of this place would shield her intentions until it was too late.

If the Jedi noticed, she did not show it.

"Are you having the recordings you told me about?" she asked, "The one telling of your master's plans."

"I have it," Avaryss purred, she pulled out a small recording device.

Now we will see, she thought.

If the Jedi was going to try anything, now would be the time, she had shown her the prize, If she was going to attack Avaryss now would be time.

The girl nodded.

"We will be needing to be silent; I will be finding you quarters within the Enclave, in the morning you will be speaking to Master Pondar. He will be offering you protection, I'm sure of it."

And you will be hailed as a hero, Avaryss thought, or so you believe.

We will see just how that works out for you.

"We would be wise not to be using the main entrance," the Devish advise, "Can you follow?"

"As if my life depended on it," Avaryss said, "Which it does."

The Jedi girl nodded.

"Then we are being off."

The Malloc girl led her deeper into the park, Avaryss had no trouble keeping up, but chose to hang back a bit, to convince the girl that she was struggling.

The dark side was singing inside her, this deception filling her with dark power, power that she was only just able to conceal.

Would the girl sense it even if I was not," she wondered, "She could almost taste the eagerness in the Padawan, the desire to profit from bringing in a Sith defector.

It blinded her, perhaps from all threat, that worked out well for the Sith.

The two jumped the fence; Quenya led a zig zagging route back to the enclave, hoping to throw off any pursuit that might have seen Avaryss enter the park.

So the girl was not completely without guile, it was another point in her favor, but it would not save her from what was to come.

Captain Torve's men she already be deployed, watching whatever entrance the girl chose to use when she entered the Enclave. Before any alarm could be raised the first Sith strike force should be inside the Enclave, silencing any alarms.

Torve assured her that his men were capable of carrying out such a mission; they had the layout of the Enclave, and had been waiting for a chance like this for some time.

The Captain would not admit it, but they had likely been waiting for a Sith to take command of this operation, to help them finally carry out their mission.

Avaryss did not intend to disappoint.

The entrance the girl chose was one of the unguarded ones near one of the enclave's four fire escapes.

Avaryss felt her eagerness growing. Her heart was pounding like a war drum.

The Jedi looked at her, her expression was curious.

Had she sensed her Sith charge's eagerness?

Avaryss did her best to appear innocent.

"You will be speaking to no one until I speak to Master Pondar. We shall then see about formally arranging your asylum. Are you understanding this, yes?"

"I do," Avaryss replied.

Almost time, she thought.

We are almost there.

Still the girl kept her distance, as he moved to enter the code for the door, she gestured for Avaryss to stand where she could see her. The Sith eagerly complied, she was most eager to find…_asylum_ within the Jedi enclave.

The Devish shielded the code panel from her eyes, but that did not bother her.

She wasn't trying to get the code, she just needed the door open, then…

An electronic chime sounded.

The door slid open almost silently.

Captain Torve's men struck.

Stun blasts rippled through the air, the troopers specially modified weapons made an energy spike from the rifles almost undetectable.

They caught the Devish girl unaware. She cried out as she was struck, but somehow managed to remain standing.

She looked at Avaryss, her pale yellow eyes widening with understanding.

The Sith smiled.

"No," she hissed, trying to draw her weapon.

Avaryss did not give her a chance, she sent the girl falling back with a hard Force push.

Quenya Sai Malloc struck with crunching force!

The girl's eyes fluttered as she slid down the wall, a slight streak of Devish blood marked where her head had hit.

She collapsed to the ground.

Avaryss reached out with the Force, the Jedi girl was still alive, but injured.

A squad of Captain Torve's men emerged from hiding; they moved silently, they entered the Enclave without a single noise.

Avaryss nodded.

It was good to see professionals at work.

They knew what they had to do.

First they silenced the alarms.

Then…they would silence the rest of the Enclave.

It should not take long.

Beric emerged from hiding, he walked up to her, his expression both cold and professional.

He heard Quenya groan, he looked down at the Jedi, and back at his sister.

Avaryss shrugged.

He cursed slightly and drew his sidearm; he walked up to the Jedi, intent on putting a blaster bolt through her skull.

"No," Avaryss said, her hand lightly pushing the weapon down.

"Why?" he asked.

Avaryss grinned triumphantly.

"It is my mission brother," she said.

"The girl deserves to see what her trusting nature has bought."

Beric Lylos shook his head.

"As you wish," he said, "Though I think it is a mistake. The girl will want you dead for this."

"I know Avaryss said with a giggle.

"That is what makes this fun."

If he understood, he did not have a chance to tell her. There was a flash of light from within the Enclave, that and a voice cut short.

The second Sith commando team arrived entering the building without a word.

Avaryss drew her lightsaber; she looked down at the wounded Padawan.

"Bind her," she ordered.

"I want her to see what comes next."

He did so without a word of complaint, once she was secured, the children of Andur and Maya Lylos entered the Enclave together. They could hear the sounds of battle now, yet no full alarm rang out.

Avaryss smiled.

So it begins, she thought.

"Do not engage the Jedi alone," she warned him.

"Afraid I will steal your kill?" he asked.

She chuckled.

"That sounds like a challenge?"

"Perhaps so," he said, "We will keep score."

She chuckled.

Yes, she thought. The Enclave's files were the priority, but that did not mean that they could not have a bit of fun.

A wounded Republic technician staggered into the all.

Avaryss lit her blade and lunged forward, the man did not even get the chance to shout "Sith" her blade took his head.

"One." She murmured.

The sound of more voices drew her like a tukata.

Beric moved at her side.

Here we go, she thought.

Let's have some fun!


	32. Seduction

**Chapter 32: Seduction**

The girl's screams rang out through the abandoned warehouse.

Avaryss stood back, admiring the fruits of her labor. Quenya Sai Malloc thrashed wildly, the nightmares that the young Sith's spells had summoned assaulted the Devish girl's mind, likely doing far more damage than the array of blades and bludgeons that Captain Torve had supplied her with.

Physical pain had its uses; she had studied the art of interrogation during her time on both Butcher's Clearing and Korriban. She knew what it took to get a confession out of someone, but this was not about a confession, she already knew everything that she needed to know.

She was testing the girl; see if she broke, her Jedi techniques had shielded her from the pain inflicted by Torve's interrogators. Avaryss had watched the two men bumble through until finally she could not take it anymore.

_Amateurs_, she thought to herself, she had gone in, dismissed the two soldiers and immediately got to work with her spells. The first one assaulted the body, and the girl resisted, glaring at her silently, Avaryss could sense the anger in her, the sense of betrayal.

_Good_ she thought, _those emotions are __**just **__what you __**need,**__ but it was time to take things a little bit farther._

She went on the attack assaulting the girl's mind, using her anger as a doorway in.

The Padawan had no defense against that.

Her screams filled the young Sith's ears.

"Scream all you want," she murmured, "With everything that has happened, no one will hear you."

The Jedi Padawan did not respond; she was beyond that at that moment.

Avaryss nodded.

Pain was only the first step; others would need to be taken before they were finished.

According to Darth Hecaetus' writings this was how one began, his writings had been filled with his mirth and joy in these early moments, though, personally, Avaryss' pleasure in this was…muted.

Once she had **reveled i**n torture, seeing a person break was proof of her superiority.

Personal experience had robbed her of much of the joy she once would have felt.

It may have been the first step, but she hoped to move quickly past it.

Torture, she thought with a shake of her head.

It was a tool, useful, but she used it begrudgingly.

She had nearly been tortured to death herself, if not for her master's intervention, she would have died on Korriban, the experience had left her broken, forced to rely on a respirator mask to survive.

She still had nightmares about **that** mask, the taste of Kolto in her mouth, the heavy sensation on her jaw, and not to mention the steady in and out of artificially enhanced breathing.

She had feared she would need to wear the damn thing for the rest of her life, she remembered the elation she had felt when she had finally been able to tear it off, when she…

STOP IT!

The darkness roiled inside of her.

_That is the __**past**__, focus on the __**future!**_

Yes, she thought, the future…

…and it belonged to her.

She pushed the thoughts of her own pain and fear to the back of her mind, despite her feelings. This **was **the first step.

She watched as the alien girl thrashed against her bonds, begging and pleading for help.

"Help yourself, girl," Avaryss growled under her breath, sickened by the girl's begging.

They had only just begun.

IOI

She stayed until the girl finally lost consciousness.

She left her under guard, with word to report to her if and when the girl awoke, and finally sought out some sustenance; she had neither eaten nor slept since returning from the raid. Perhaps she would meditate for a few hours; that would restore her flagging strength. Food might be a good idea too. She…

"Why is that **thing** still alive?"

She paused, turning, she smiled at her brother.

Beric did not understand.

She intended to make him.

"That **thing** has a name," she reminded him, "You should consider using it; she will be joining us, provided she survives the next few tests I have for her."

Hearing that made him stop short, his response to her defense of the girl died on his lips.

"Joining us?"

She nodded.

"I intend to bring her over, set her on the path to the dark side.

She grinned wickedly.

"She will serve me well."

Beric scratched his chin, thoughtfully, clearly he did not agree with her choice.

"So….you want the girl for _what_ exactly? Is she to be a trophy? Are you taking her on as a new pet?"

Her brother grinned.

"You have Rink; I thought one stray would be enough for you."

"If she does turn, I would not be so quick to say such things around her brother. An acolyte of the dark side is not someone you should take lightly, and certainly not someone who should be the butt of a joke."

He snorted.

"She betrayed her own. "You actually want someone like that fighting at your side?"

"She thought that she was helping someone, that, and she saw the chance for advancement, for recognition. She wanted it so much that she did not tell her masters about our meeting, It is that ambition that I want, it marks her as useful."

Avaryss' expression turned thoughtful.

"Of course, she will have to survive the next few days. She has to make the choice; I cannot make it for her."

"And if she doesn't?" her brother asked.

"Then my desires will be moot," she shrugged,

She will either survive, or she won't."

"That is the way of the dark side, the way of the Sith. It is survive or perish, my brother.

"Survive or perish."

IOI

A few hours later, Avaryss once again found herself facing her would be acolyte. The girl had managed to emerge from her nightmares, and seemed no less for it.

The invigorated young Sith smiled.

A bit of food and rest had done her a world of good; she was prepared to take the next step with the Jedi girl.

Now they would see if the girl was able to follow.

"Despite being bound and tortured, the girl did not seem broken. She was frightened, yes, afraid of what next horror the Sith would inflict, but she seemed to have control of that fear.

"What are you wanting with me, Sith," she demanded, her yellow eyes narrowing.

"Is it not being enough that you have ruined my life?"

Avaryss chuckled.

"Did **I** ruin your life? I don't seem to remember me using the Force to compel you to hide our little deal from your masters? **You **did that all on your own.

The Devish growled low in the back of her throat, but she did look away, Avaryss felt a wave of shame off the girl, an emotion she quickly tried to dismiss."

"Do not turn away from your emotions," Avaryss advised, "Let the guilt, the pain, let it **nourish** you, let it restore your strength."

She smiled.

"We still have a ways to go."

The girl looked confused, unsure why the Sith would say such a thing.

She truly did have much to learn.

'what are you wanting with me?" the Padawan demanded, "Why am I still being alive?"

"Oh this is not about me," Avaryss said admiring the various torture tools that Torve's fools had left behind. She glanced down at them, and then back at her "guest."

Quenya Sai Malloc quailed, she almost hid it, almost, but Avaryss saw it.

She thought that Avaryss was going to start hurting her again, that was not her plan.

She would not hurt the girl, unless the girl made her.

"Let us play a game," the Sith said, "You want to find out **my** desires, you get to ask me questions. If you get it wrong, I hurt you. If you get it right, I answer. If you win…"

"You will not be letting me go," the girl spat, "I will not be believing your lies anymore."

"Oh you will be free to go," she says, "I swear it on the name of my great Emperor."

Her expression turned playful.

"I won't lie to you, not here. The Truth is far more fun. So you may ask away, get it right, and you are free to go. It is not a bad deal is it? A chance of escape is better than no chance, is it not?"

Quenya pursed her lips, considering her words.

"What do you want?" she asked.

Avaryss snarled; she leapt forward with a scalpel from the table.

She slashed the alien girl's arm, the Padawan hissed, blood ran freely down her arm.

"WRONG QUESTION," the Sith spat, "This is not about me. Try again."

The Padawan struggled, blood flowing freely down her arm. Avaryss brought the blade to her neck.

The girl's thrashing stopped, one false move and the Sith would open up her throat.

"Try again," Avaryss said, "Try or die."

Her prisoner's eyes widened, again Avaryss felt that frisson of fear, and again the girl held it back.

The Jedi swallowed hard.

"This is not being about you that is what you said, yes?"

"It is," Avaryss said moving the blade slightly from the girl's neck.

"Who is it being for then?" the girl asked, "Your Empire? Your order?"

"Technically wrong answers," Avaryss replied, "But I'm willing to give you a break because it is clear that you are probing for the right answer, and right on the cusp of it."

The Sith's merry smile returned.

"It is not about the Empire or the Sith Order as a whole, try again?"

She could see that the girl was confused, but the blade at her throat was a motivator, she was seeking what Avaryss was looking for.

It took her only a few moments, but she finally figured it out.

"Me," she said. "This questioning, it is being about me? It is being about what I want?"

Avaryss removed the scalpel from her neck.

"Correct," she said. The Sith returned the tool to the table. She found a medical pack near where the torture tools had been set. She found something to tend to the girl's cut arm.

"Why am I being important?" the Devish asked.

"Because you have value," Avaryss replied, "And you don't understand everything…not yet."

She looked up at her prisoner.

"You will though, I promise…"

"You will."

She went to the table and began tending the girl's wound, it was not deep, but would likely leave a scar. The girl flinched when she first touched her, but when she realized that the Sith did not mean her any harm, she relaxed.

"You have value," Avaryss repeated, "Can you honestly say that your masters ever said those words to you?"

The girl winced, but that might have been from the kolto based medicine Avaryss had applied to her slashed arm.

"A Malloc must be doing better," the Padawan said morosely, "That is what the masters were always saying to me. I was…was not living up to their expectations."

Avaryss sniffed.

"…Because of who your family was? I've read your files."

Quenya nodded.

Avaryss sniffed again.

"Your masters wanted you to be more instead of focusing on making you the best that you _**could**_ be. They wanted you to be like your ancestors."

She shook her head.

"I simply want you to be _**you**_. I want to see what _you_ can do. Your ancestors are gone, dust and bone. Their accomplishments will never be yours."

She finished cleaning the girl's wound, and applied a kolto patch.

"A Force user must follow her own star."

The girl nodded, it was probably the first time in her life anyone had told her those words, it had been a failing on the Jedi' part.

The Devish girl's eyes widened.

"The Masters, the Enclave," she said quickly, "What has become of them?"

"Gone," Avaryss said blandly.

"Gone?" the girl said blinking.

"Yes, a gas line exploded under the street, the city's power systems did not detect it until it was too late. The enclave, and half the block around it is now gone, burning."

The Sith grinned.

"It was a tragic accident."

The alien girl's eyes narrowed.

"You killed them all, the people in the Enclave, the masters?"

"Yes," Avaryss admitted.

"I did."

They had caught the Enclave almost completely unaware, the Sith troopers descended on it like a tidal wave, blasting down all in their path. They went for the Jedi first, sealing off the sections that might have allowed someone inside to try and call for help.

The girl's fellow Padawans had died first.

They had been sleeping, but sensed the danger and rose. They walked into the waiting arms of the Sith troopers. There had been four of them, their masters having left them there while they tended to whatever mission the conspiracy had sent them on.

Two had been gunned down before they had even gotten to raise their lightsabers.

Avaryss had dealt with the rest; she had proved more than a match for a pair of unprepared Jedi Padawans. Her lightsaber ended their lives.

The masters they found had been more diverting.

A knight she did not know attacked her. He had killed several of their soldiers when she finally fell upon him. He had been wounded, but still put up a decent fight.

She gave him a quick death.

Quenya's master Darzu fell next, the human Jedi had not believed that the Sith could have penetrated their vaunted security. She let him know what happened before the end; that his Padawan had let them in.

He died cursing the girl for a fool. Avaryss had made mental note to let her see that recording later, she was pretty sure she was in a chamber where the Sith had access to the Enclave's cameras.

He died just as the Cathar Jedi Pondar had shown up.

It was then that the fun had truly begun.

The Cathar were a hot-blooded species, the feline-like Jedi had fallen on her like a storm, his mastery of Ataru, the acrobatic style of lightsaber combat had been terrifying. He moved with a speed that even gave her pause, it took all of her talent with Soresu just to keep from losing her head.

The Jedi yowled and snarled as he pressed his attack, to the unenlightened the two likely looked like two shadows moving far too fast for the eye to keep track, their lightsabers just swirling patterns of blue and ruby light. Avaryss had taunted the Jedi as the two of them danced back and forth, confronting him with what she knew of the conspiracy.

The beast had growled. He spat back how the Empire was doomed, that despite what happened here, she would not save the Empire, that the Sith would finally answer for all the Jedi they had slain when the Temple on Coruscant had fell years ago.

His words had given her just the push she had needed, and in the end helped seal the Jedi Master's fate.

These conspirators held a grudge for the destruction of their precious temple. They horded that hate like a Hutt hoarded its credits. Despite their dedication to the light, that grudge, that hate ensured their defeat. As the battle continued and Master Pondar failed to slay the young Sith his anger and frustration grew.

The light side of the Force withered under such conditions, his connection to it sputtered as his anger continued to grow. Meanwhile, Avaryss grew stronger as she drew on the hate and despair that continued to grow as her forces continued to clear the enclave.

The Jedi's aggression may not have been as overt as a straight up attack, but it was still aggression. This whole conspiracy had set the Jedi involved on a course towards the darkness. They would likely never admit it, but it was a weakness.

It had been a weakness that Avaryss had been more than willing to exploit.

The Jedi Master's shield sputtered as his rage grew, he could hear the darkness' call, but still resisted, still tried to hang on to the light, to deny how much his actions had changed him.

The hypocrite, Avaryss thought, anger and fear were not to be feared.

Wasn't Master Pondar a little old to be afraid of the dark?

His unwillingness to take that final step had been her step to victory.

She reached out with the dark side, attacking with the spells of the ancient Sith. The Jedi's tenuous grip on the light faltered, he tried to strengthen his shields, but his own anger and desire for vengeance poisoned that connection.

His own fears consumed him.

As he slashed at phantoms, her lightsaber took his hand, sending the weapon flying away. She followed up that attack by driving the tip of her blade through the Jedi's heart, he gasped, his cat-like eyes widened in disbelief.

She could have ended it right there, but instead chose to twist the blade, make his end hurt even more.

"I will end your conspiracy," she hissed in the dying master's ear.

"I will end you all."

She deactivated her blade, but before he could fall, she reached out took him in her arms and kissed him. His eyes widened in surprise, but that surprise quickly turned to terror and horror. She would not simply let him slip into death.

She conjured a life drain spell, as she held him in her arms, his body withered and turned to dust, dry fur blew away, flesh and bone turned brittle and crumbled.

When the spell was done, all that was left was the Cathar's skull, a dusty relic of Avaryss' victory.

She reveled in his end, drinking deep of his failure and death, but still she was not done.

It took the Sith another twenty minutes or so to finish clearing out the enclave, killing the last of the servants. It took Holli another twenty minutes to finish downloading their files, but by then they were cutting things quite close, who knew how long they had until someone at the Republic garrison noticed something amiss.

Avaryss did not give them a chance to respond.

She found Torve and Beric, they were done here. It was time to cover their tracks.

"Set the charges," she ordered, "Destroy the entire block, leave no evidence of our being here."

The accident angle had been Captain Torve's idea, it seemed that the presence of a Sith and the taste of a long denied victory was just what the man had needed.

Their losses had been minimal ten soldiers had fallen as they had cleared the Enclave while the Jedi suffered a total loss.

The explosion made sure that no evidence would get back to the rest of the Jedi conspiracy. Beric had been a bit hesitant to destroy an entire city block, but it had been necessary.

Avaryss had weighed the lives of the downtrodden citizens of that block against the future of the Empire, a few hundred dead was a worthy trade off to ensure that the Sith Empire continued to thrive.

She had not hesitated.

The destruction had been as complete as it had been glorious!

Once she would have mourned those innocents that had been caught up in the scheme, but not anymore.

The weak deserved their fate.

Those people were nothing, expendable.

She was more than happy to expend them.

IOI

"You killed them," Quenya gasped, her eyes wide with horror, "An entire block of people!?"

"They were nothing," the Sith replied, "Their deaths will ensure that my work can continue."

The Devish snarled, she struggled against her bonds, furious at what she thought was Avaryss atrocity.

Good, the Sith thought.

She lets her anger flow; she does not hide from it.

Good.

"You want to stop me?" she inquired.

"Yess," the alien girl hissed.

"You wish me dead."

"You are being a monster!"

Avaryss laughed.

"That depends entirely on your point of view."

The girl fell silent; she continued to glare into her enemy's eyes.

"It is your people's conspiracy that drew me here," Avaryss said, "Had your masters not broken the treaty, there would have been no cause of bloodshed."

She told the girl about her investigation, how the Jedi and Republic SIS had been trying to set the dark lords against each other. She told the girl of Taris and Tatooine, she told her of the Wreck and Alderaan.

She showed her the evidence she had collected, it was damning, even without what they had collected from the Enclave here.

Still the alien resisted.

"LIES," the Jedi spat, "You Sith are all being liars!"

"I told you I would not lie to you in this, and I meant that," Avaryss said, "Now, Quenya Sai Malloc, I ask you again, what is it that _**you**_ want?"

The girl shuddered, Avaryss could feel her hate. The girl blamed her not only for the death of all those people and Jedi, but for tricking her in the first place.

She wondered how much responsibility the girl took for her own actions. If she had told her masters what was going on, the Sith would never have gotten this far.

"This must end," the Padawan said.

"Then help me end it," Avaryss declared, "Your master and his friends violated the treaty, had they not; I would not have come here. Help me stop this before anymore innocents have to die in the crossfire."

"You care nothing for the death of innocents."

"But you do," the Sith reminded her, "As I said, I care nothing for your fathers or their lineage. I want to see what you can do. Help me end this before it gets any worse."

The Devish shook her head.

"I am not being dark side. I am not being Sith."

"The Jedi will blame you for what happened here. You will be a criminal in their eyes, a rogue Force user."

Avaryss grinned.

"Come with me; help me; let me show you what the Force is truly capable of. Together we can end this conflict and bring order to the galaxy! The Republic will never see you as nothing but a criminal, but you can still save lives, you can still be a hero."

Avaryss put her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"You can be a Hero of the Empire."

Avaryss knew that she had won; she could see it in the girl's eyes feel it in her soul. She sensed the confusion falling away, the girl's fear pushing her towards the darkness, towards Avaryss.

"I am not being dark side," the Devish repeated.

"And I am not yet a master," the Sith confessed, "Not yet, but I can be a guide, I can show you the way, if you let me."

Avaryss stood back she picked up the controller that would either electrify the table, or unlatch the Padawan, the former Padawan's restraints.

"Please," Avaryss said, "Let me help you. Let us help the galaxy."

The Devish girl sighed.

"You…you will not be hurting anymore innocents?"

"You can be there to stop me," Avaryss promised, "You will have your weapon, and if you don't like the way things are going, you will be free to try and strike me down. As I said I'm offering you your desires. I will not yield willingly to death, but you will have a chance to try and stop me if that is your desire."

The Force roiled around the girl. She would not admit it, but she hated Avaryss, the thought of killing her new enemy excited her, perhaps even enough that she would be willing to wait, to lay in wait until the time was right.

"Master Pondar was being wrong," Quenya said, "Master Darzu was wrong. If all that you are saying is true, then they are the enemies of the Republic, not me."

Avaryss shrugged.

"when this is done, you will be free to make that choice," she promised, "If you decide to return to the Republic and face judgment for what happened here, I will not stop you, we will not stop you."

"As I said, this will be your choice."

The Devish girl shuddered, a wave of pain and guilt washed over her, she knew what she wanted, the choice she had to make, but her Jedi training was getting in the way.

Avaryss stepped closer again, the girl needed one final push out of the light.

"Rise above the pain and guilt, stand back from it, imagine it is far below you; look at it with both your mind and the Force. You will find it is not so painful when you step back and look at the larger picture."

The girl closed her eyes, Avaryss could feel the shift, her reasoning had got through, the girl did not want to see herself as a criminal, she let go of her self-righteousness and guilt. She finally stopped denying the pain and started feeling it.

When she opened her eyes, she looked different changed, the scared animal look in her eyes were gone.

"I want to help you end this," she said, "I will not be going to the dark side, but I will be helping you. Together we will be ending this nightmare, no more will be dying because of my former masters' hypocrisy.

Of course," Avaryss said, "You will be in control, for the first time in your life; it will be _**your**_ choice."

"Yes," the alien girl hissed, cold smile now on her lips.

"My choice."

Avaryss shivered with delight.

"_I will not be going to the dark side," the girl had said._

The Sith almost laughed.

_She had __**already**__ crossed over to the dark. She simply did not recognize it, not yet._

_She would learn._

The former Padawan nodded.

"I want to be off this table," she said.

"As you wish," Avaryss said.

She disengaged the restraints.

Quenya Sai Malloc was free.

She dropped from the table, falling to her knees for a few moments, but then rose, unsteady, but still standing.

"I will be needing my lightsaber," she said, "If I am to be aiding you, I will need my weapon."

"That can be arranged," Avaryss promised.

The Devish girl grinned.

The darkness was blooming inside like a flower after the spring rain.

"I can be helping you in decrypting the master's files. We can be finding where to go next."

"I would welcome your help," the Sith agreed.

"Thank you, my lord," the girl said.

"Let us be finding who was giving Master Pondar his orders. Let us be dealing with him, once and for all."

"I could not agree more, my friend," Avaryss purred.

Quenya Sai Malloc laughed.

"Then let us be getting his done," she declared.

"Let us be being…heroes."

As you wish, Quenya," Avaryss said feeling the darkness within, reveling in the power of the girl's conversion.

"As you wish."


	33. Side Trip

**Chapter 33: Side Trip**

"Greetings: I am HK- SIGMA 3, my assassination protocols are now restored and fully at your command. Hello Meatbag, I'm ready to…_**QUARK!"**_

Avaryss jumped back as electricity arced from her assassin droid. Holli let out a small cry and scampered out of the way, yanking out several cords from the data pad she had connected to the HK's head.

"ZZZZZ-SYSTEMS FAILING MASTER!" the droid buzzed before it slumped forward, smoke and sparks spewing from its chassis.

The droid fell silent, the lights faded from its optics.

Then…there was silence, that and the stink of burned metal.

Avaryss sighed and shook her head.

She should have guessed that it would not be that easy.

"I'm sorry, my lord," Ensign Holli said morosely, "I thought I fixed that power problem, I thought the new leads would hold."

She approached and reinserted the data pad's wires back into the droid's head.

"Next time I will reinforce them better."

She gave Avaryss a nervous look; clearly Holli understood what happened to officers that failed their lords.

"I ask for another chance."

Avaryss' expression remained thoughtful, but finally she nodded.

"Considering that droid sat for decades if not centuries in the Tatooine sand, I call it coming on line, even briefly, as progress," she said.

She gave the engineer a gentle smile. "You may continue with your work."

The Ensign let out a slight sigh; no doubt she had worried after summoning Avaryss to see what she had accomplished. Some Sith rewarded such setbacks with death. Avaryss was not one of them.

Holli had done what most would have called extremely difficult, if not impossible.

The droid stood before her, it may not have been fully operational yet, but it had come online briefly.

It was enough of a success to stay the young Sith's hand.

Holli entered several commands on her data pad; she rubbed as a small grease stain on her chin.

"The droid's main processor is still intact, self-repair functions built into this model reinforced the higher cognitive functions, the droid's mind is stable."

Avaryss nodded.

"It has self-repair?" she asked.

"Limited self-repair functions," Holli explained, "It made sure that its mind did not completely meltdown."

The girl shook her head.

"Not enough to get it working on its own, but at least I do not have to start from scratch."

She smiled at Avaryss.

"We are getting close," she said.

Avaryss nodded, pleased with the engineer's work, at least, for now.

"Send word to supply, get what you need, price is no object," Avaryss ordered.

"As you say," the girl said bowing, "I will also send word to 1A-K3. Lackey might be able to help me find a new way to reinforce the power conduits."

"Do what is necessary," Avaryss said, "Let me know when you are ready to try again."

"Yes, my lord," Holli said saluting, her hand barely covering the grease smudge on her forehead.

"Keep me informed," the Sith said as she left the cargo hold.

"Yes, my lord," the girl shouted after her.

Despite the setback, Avaryss was pleased.

Holli was getting close.

The Fury was currently in hyperspace, heading back to Dromund Kaas. They were bringing back the data they had mined from the fallen Jedi Enclave. Avaryss had thought it best to deliver the information in person, not trusting that one of their enemies, Republic or otherwise might not intercept the transmission.

_This matter will be coming to a head soon_, she thought, they had records of dozens of transmissions, and with them, several encryption keys, thanks to Quenya, they now had an idea of how the conspirators were striking at the Empire. No names were mentioned in the transmissions, but given the targets and the locations, it was not hard for the Sith to predict what lords were being manipulated.

_We can begin coordinating efforts with the other lords_, Avaryss thought, _we can also begin tracing this whole sorry mess back to its source. We can finally find the mastermind behind this mess and deal with him or her._

She was looking forward to that.

After she had agreed to join them, Avaryss had questioned Quenya about what she knew about the conspiracy. The Devish confessed to knowing little, her masters had not trusted her enough to bring her fully into their confidence, either that or they had not thought her ready to join their scheme, Avaryss suspected the latter, but pushed for the girl to believe the former.

_The larger the wedge she drove between the girl and the Jedi and their allies, the better._

In time, she would be a willing servant in Avaryss' campaign, she was certain of it.

It just felt right.

Rink and Holli had been welcoming to their new shipmate. The former street rat offering his aid to the former Jedi Padawan, to help her adjust to her new life, Quenya seemed flattered by the offer. She was intrigued by Holli's work, especially on the old HK; the girl had little understanding of droid operation, but given the history of the model, was intrigued by the idea of having one that actually functioned. Beric kept his distance, he was clearly watching the girl, not believing that she was as willing a convert as his sister hoped.

_He does not understand_, Avaryss thought, _the dark side's call is hard to ignore, especially after you have already opened yourself up to it._

_But has she opened herself up?_

The thought gave the young Sith pause.

She would still need to test the Devish, she recognized that, but for now she seemed to be cooperating, willingly giving up any secret that the Sith asked for

Yes, things were working out nicely.

Once they were back on Dromund Kaas they would be able to find their next target, and the next, and the next.

Eventually they would reach the end of the chain, and then they would deal with the ones in charge of all this.

"Bridge to Avaryss."

She paused. Rink's voice had rang out over the overhead loudspeaker.

"Yes, Rink, what is it?" she called out

"We have a call coming in, boss, for your eyes only."

Avaryss frowned.

That was odd.

Her master was not the type to be so secretive?

"I will take it in the comm room."

She made her way there, engaging the security locks on the doors as she entered.

She reached out with the Force, trying to sense her master's mood, yet, she felt nothing.

If he was calling her, she should have felt something.

_Strange._

_Very strange_.

She activated the holo-comm and stepped back, she prepared to drop to one knee in homage to her master.

As it turned out, she did not need to.

Her eyes widened slightly.

It **wasn't** Darth Feer.

_Well, wasn't this a surprise? _

"Darth Baras," she exclaimed, "My lord…this is…a most unexpected pleasure."

The Broad shouldered Sith Lord in the silver armor and mask tilted his head slightly.

"Greetings youngster," he said, "I do hope that I've not caught you at a bad time, your master has had you so busy lately, hasn't he? You have travelled far, and I suspect you will travel farther still."

Avaryss smiled.

_What was this about_, she wondered.

Her master and Darth Baras were hardly allies, much less friends.

How had he gotten this comm frequency? She should not have been surprised, it was said that Baras had spies everywhere, that he likely knew what the Emperor had had for breakfast this morning.

Finding Darth Feer's private comm frequency would have been child's play. She was impressed, of course, but that did not mean that she was above having a bit of fun with the senior Sith.

She grinned.

"How is your apprentice doing, my lord? The one I encountered on Tatooine a while back."

Her expression turned sly, teasing. It might not have been a good idea to provoke him, but since he had gone to all this trouble to contact her, she thought he would be willing to put up with a little snarkiness on her part.

"I do hope he managed to escape the explosion of that Republic safe house," she said, "Good help is so very hard to find these days, don't you agree?"

If the dark lord was insulted, he did not show it.

He laughed.

"You revealed the limits that my apprentice was capable of reaching," he informed her; "He survived your encounter, but has since moved into a more…less interesting role in my service."

I'll bet, Avaryss thought, she remembered the fool cutting his face with his own blade. If Baras was smart he would seek out a new apprentice soon, one not so easily ensnared by the power of his fellows.

Hopefully, Baras' next apprentice would be a bit more clever.

The Sith Lord stood straighter.

"Of course, we are not here to discuss past issues. It is the future that interests me, and so…for that reason…I have contacted you."

"I'm listening, my lord," she promised, "As a Darth, it is my duty to aid you, as long as it does not negatively affect my house, of course. Hopefully, I'm sure; we can come to a…mutually beneficial understanding."

"I have no desire to make any more enemies than I need to".

Again the dark lord chuckled.

"Perhaps you are not entirely without wisdom," he said, "Feer may have made a mistake in recruiting you."

"That remains to be seen," she said, "For now, let us discuss what it is you want of me."

"I have heard whispers that you recently acquired some data from a Republic Enclave that…closed recently. I was hoping that I might convince you to surrender that data to me."

Avaryss smirked.

"I doubt that my master would approve. If that data does exist, and that is not an admission, it would be unwise to share such information with a…unaffiliated Sith."

She sensed a brief flicker of anger from the dark lord.

_Careful,_ the darkness within warned, _you can play with him, but only so far._

_He is a Darth, death incarnate._

_Remember that._

"You show the caution of a good apprentice, girl," Baras said, "But it is unnecessary, I do not ask for you to simply give me the information, simply send me a copy. In return I will share any conclusions that I reach from that data, provided that you share anything you might learn with me."

Though she could not see his face hidden behind the mask, she sensed that the older Sith was smiling.

"My resources are considerable. I might be able to discover something that your people might miss, or the other way around."

It made sense she supposed, still it seemed a lot of risk for very little reward. Warmaster Feore's people would surely find her some new targets. Why did she need Baras' help, beyond staying on the good side of a Darth; that _might_ be worth it, but she still wanted to see just how bad the old man wanted this.

"I'm no fool, child," Baras added, "I'm aware of your…investigation, what you believe to be happening. Most Sith would dismiss what you have found as a minor threat, or a fantasy. I do not."

The dark lord crossed his huge arms.

"This presents an opportunity, for the good of the Empire, this…conspiracy must end, but that does not mean that we lords who are in the know can't profit from it before that happens."

Avaryss smiled.

She knew it.

The Dark Lords, at least some of them, knew about the conspiracy, and were trying to manipulate it to fit their own designs. She wondered if the Jedi realized that, were they walking close enough to the dark side to see the plans within the plans.

Possibly, but that did not change the final outcome.

The Jedi/SIS conspiracy needed to end, and she would be the one who ended it.

The rewards for that victory would be hers.

"I see your point, my lord, but the personal risk to me is still great. So, forgive me for being blunt, say I give you the information you desire…"

Her expression turned sly.

"What is in it for me?"

Baras chuckled.

"A chance to reclaim something that should have been yours since your student days, young Avaryss," he replied.

"Eh?' she said.

_What was this now?_

Baras chuckled.

"I'm sending you coordinates, as a show of good faith. It leads to the holdings of a minor Sith on the outskirts of the Empire. Lord Kanis is the man's name."

"What is this Lord Kanis to me?"

"A man who has stolen your rightful inheritance," Baras said.

That got Avaryss' attention.

_My…inheritance?_

"I've read the reports of your training on Korriban, even the supposedly sealed ones dealing with your relationship with a fellow acolyte, a pure-blood named Fehl."

"My relationship was never a secret," she shrugged, "I do not see why such files would be sealed."

"Do you realize that your Fehl had already named you his heir? He submitted a new will, naming you as both his bride and successor. You may not have been formally wed under Sith law, but that does not change the fact that the will existed, and that, in the event of the boy's death, all his holdings should have passed to you."

Avaryss blinked.

She…she hadn't known.

Fehl…he…he had formerly declared her his wife!

Amazing!

"Is that why the overseers on Korriban were so intent on getting me to confess to his death? They wanted to make this will invalid!"

"It was Lord Kanis that informed the overseers of your plan, child," Baras informed her, "He had been named executor of Fehl's holdings, if you had arrived as the boy's betrothed, then you would have possessed all the power that Kanis now wields. He took advantage of the situation, he did not poison your boy, I was hoping to have verified that for you, but I came up empty, still…Kanis did steal from you. He took advantage of your lover's death."

Avaryss' eyes narrowed dangerously.

That…that shutta!

She would have his head on a plate!

"I will need a copy of this will," she told Baras.

"It is included with the coordinates," he promised, she could hear the amusement in his voice, "I trust this is enough to convince you to surrender the information that I require?"

"It is," Avaryss said with a cool smile.

She began entering codes on the communicator, accessing the files that they had seized.

Master Feer likely would not have approved, still, it was a good deal.

Plus, Fehl's holdings would make her even more valuable to her master, not to mention move her one step closer to her own freedom.

He will pay Fehl, she thought, this thief.

He will pay!

"I have sent you half of the data trove we recovered, my lord," she informed the dark lord, "Once I've verified what you have told me and dealt with the matter of Lord Kanis, I will send the other half."

I trust this arrangement is satisfactory?"

"Quite," the dark lord replied, "You will have no trouble verifying what I've told you."

He glanced to his right; she heard a slight pinging sound on the hyper-comm.

Darth Baras radiated pleasure.

"Transmission received," he said, "You have my thanks, youngster."

"And you have mine," she said nodding respectfully, "If anything, I hope this shows my willingness to cooperate with my fellow Sith."

"It is a start," he said, "I will inform my master, Darth Vengean of your willingness to aid us. This may not lead to an alliance, but at the very least, it may result in a profitable business arrangement."

"Send councilor Vengean, my regards."

"I will," Baras said, "And good fortune in recovering you inheritance girl. A Sith cannot survive without a powerbase, hopefully this will be a good first step in building yours."

Not the first step, she thought, she already had credits pouring in from her alliance with TCS. Having more physical holdings would make her more formidable though.

She thought of Fehl, what they might have had had Nass not taking it upon herself to murder him.

She felt a dull ache in her belly. She found herself imagining a small squalling red skinned babe in her arms, the child that she and Fehl would never get to have.

It is not the end, the dark side whispered, you can still have Fehl again, both his holdings and him.

You simply have to be patient.

She nodded grimly.

She could be.

"Thank you, my lord," she said, "I will have the other half of data ready to transmit soon."

"Very well, youngster," the lord said, raising his hand in salute, "until then, Baras out."

The dark lord's image vanished. Avaryss approached the hyper-comm, looking to erase any records of the transmission; she did not want her master to know what had happened.

It did not appear necessary.

The data package that Baras had sent had included a program that already erased any record of the call.

She smirked.

You had to admire the old man's professionalism, if nothing else.

She disengaged the safety locks and made for the bridge. Rink would need to bring them out of hyperspace.

They had a stop to make first before returning to Dromund Kaas.

Lord Kanis, Avaryss thought, her hands curling into angry fists.

We are going to have a lot of fun now!

IOI

The door gave way with a single cut of her lightsaber, that and a blast of pure dark side telekinesis.

Avaryss strode into the chamber, at her side stood Quenya and Beric.

Two Sith acolytes leapt forward, their crimson lightsabers raised. Beric distracted one with shots from a heavy repeating blaster, while Quenya engaged the second, her green bladed lightsaber flashed as she drove the bodyguard back.

Her skill with the lightsaber was decent, a blend of the basic Shii-Cho and Ataru.

They would have to work on that, Avaryss thought, that and find the girl a proper crystal for her blade.

Green was not the color of a would-be Sith.

Avaryss grinned.

She had wanted their newest crew member on this journey; she wanted to get her used to killing for her new leader. So far, she had not hesitated.

It is because these are Sith, the dark side whispered; the real test will come when she has to fight her former friends.

Avaryss nodded.

Yes, that would be the real test.

Lord Kanis' holdings were modest true, but his defenses were top of the line. The Fury had had to strafe the small compound twice before an entrance could be made safe enough for the Sith and her comrades to enter.

Once inside she had been a woman on a mission. She regretted killing these men; technically they were hers, after all. She hated damaging her own holdings.

But they are not mine yet, are they, I need to show them that I am their master.

Cutting down the old one will be a good first start.

As the three of them finally breached the main chamber, she looked up and saw her enemy, the usurper Kanis was a slender pureblood, the robes he wore, though fine did not seem to fit such a slight Sith.

Fehl would have worn them better, she thought, my husband would have been glorious, a living colossus!

Now it fell to her to make sure his will was carried out.

"What is the meaning of this," the Sith Lord shouted out indignantly.

"Who are you?!"

She grinned.

"I am the lady of the house," she said, "I am the bride of your fallen master. The Lady Avaryss Fehl or I should have been."

Hearing her name made the pure blood snarl.

"You are not welcome here poisoner!"

"**I did not kill Fehl,"** she snarled back.

"What you did or did not do is irrelevant! I'm lord of this house now. I have served it long, under Master Fehl's parents, his regents, and then the master himself."

The older Sith drew his lightsaber, he ignited the blade and leapt down to meet her.

"Who are you to claim these holdings; you are just a girl who amused our master for a time. You are not even of the old blood!"

Avaryss sneered and raised her weapon.

"I am your master's chosen," she said.

"Let me show you why."

She attacked the pure blood viciously.

He fought back, like her he used the Makashi duelist style, unlike her; he lacked the polish and skill that she had refined both during her training and her service to her master.

He is a bureaucrat, she thought an administrator!

It takes a Lord of the Sith to govern a house.

She would teach him for forgetting his place.

Neither Quenya nor Beric intervened which was good. She switched seamlessly between Makashi and Soresu, giving just enough ground to draw her enemy in. Then when she was ready!

"ARRRRGH!"

Her blade sliced through the silken sleeve of Lord Kanis's robe, his robes caught fire as his weapon and his hand tumbled away.

He fell to his knees gasping snarling obscenities.

Avaryss stood over him smiling. She enjoyed watching him squirm on the ground, trying to crawl away.

It was delicious!

"Damn you," he spat, "You had no right to this house!"

"Your lord's will says otherwise."

He spat blood on her boots.

"The master's infatuation with you was his undoing. He should never have made that will. It…it should have vanished. I don't know how you managed to recover it."

"I have my ways," she purred, advancing on the fallen Sith.

"It should have been me," the former lord Kanis hissed.

"It should have been me!"

Avaryss raised her blade, preparing to take his head, and then…thought better of it.

No, this usurper does not deserve to die by my hand.

"Quenya," she said in a silky voice.

"Yes?" the Devish replied.

"Kill him."

Quenya Sai Malloc blinked.

"You want me to be killing him?" she said.

"Was I unclear," Avaryss said coldly, "I gave you an _**order!"**_

"Kill him!"

The girl blinked as she approached.

Within Avaryss the dark voice purred softly.

Now, it seemed to say; now we will see what the girl is made of.

"He is a Sith, and he has insulted me," Avaryss said, "You wish to be a part of this, then do it. He is no innocent, he is a Sith Lord. Do as I say!

"**Kill him."**

Avaryss felt the storm within the girl, her Jedi teachings wrestling with her desires to not only survive, but also to get those that had betrayed the Republic and Jedi.

Beric stood behind her, he had his blaster at his side, but it could be quickly snapped up and fired into the girl's back if she did not obey.

Still she hesitated.

"Did you not hear me?" Avaryss said.

"I've heard," the girl said looking down in the old Sith's pleading eyes.

"I am understanding."

Before Kanis could say another word or try to crawl away. Quenya slashed out with her lightsaber.

Kanis' head came away from his neck.

Avaryss shuddered as he felt dark side energy flow in to the Devonian girl.

Good, she thought.

Good.

The next step has been taken.

Very good.

"There," the girl said glaring at Avaryss, "It is being done. Are you being happy now?"

"Ecstatic, my dear," Avaryss said dryly.

She would deal with alien's insolence later, for now she still had a powerbase to consolidate.

More soldiers were arriving, that and servants of the house.

Avaryss powered down her blade and stood before them.

"Lord Kanis." One of the soldiers gasped. "No."

"Who are you?" another shouted.

"Why have you done this?!"

She stood proudly.

"I am Avaryss, former betrothed of your Lord Fehl. She pulled out a data pad, the one containing a copy of the will given to her by Darth Baras.

"As you can see, your master left all his holdings to me, it was this usurper who stole what my love wished me to wield. By right of conquest, I claim this house and all holdings of House Fehl and its holdings.

She grinned savagely.

"I am your master now."

She shouted out the next words to make sure they all heard her.

Join me, or die!"

The lead servant took it and read it. Avaryss did not let her eyes fall away from the soldiers, one false move on either side, and she would end up having to kill these people.

She did not want that.

She came here to claim these resources, not obliterate them.

The servant that took the pad, showed it to a small aging pure blood female.

She read the words several times, and finally, turning to her fellow nodded.

The first one to speak gestured to the soldiers.

They all lowered their weapons.

Yes, Avaryss thought.

YES!

"You have our apologies, my lord," the female said, "We were not aware of our late masters wished."

"It is okay," Avaryss assured her. My dear Fehl would not wish to see me destroy you, any of you."

She smiled gamely.

"He wished to see this house returned to glory!"

"I shall see to that myself. For the empire!"

As one her new servants shouted back, their fists raised.

For the Empire!"

Avaryss nodded pleased with herself.

It was another step closer to lordship.

"What are you standing around for dogs," the lead servant said, "This is our new master, bow before her, she has returned!"

As one the surviving guards and staff fell to their knees. At her side, Quenya and Beric watched the display of submission.

Avaryss beamed.

It seemed that she owed Lord Baras the rest of the data she had collected, very well.

He would get what he deserved. He had helped her take what was hers.

That was all that mattered.

She would reward him for his aid, and in time, who knew, they might one day stand as equals.

_At least until she was strong enough to remove him. Kanis might not have been a true master but he had been good practice._

There were many sweet prizes in the Empire.

One day, she would be able to take them all, and no one would be in a position to stop her. 

No one.


	34. My Child

**Chapter 34: My Child**

"Punish the girl, husband," Synestra said with an icy glare.

"This insolence _**cannot**_ be tolerated!"

Avaryss kept her head low; she was currently before her master and his family.

The young Sith frowned.

This would have gone better had she met with her master in private, but that had not happened.

The girl suppressed an irritated sigh.

If only she had gotten back to Dromund Kaas sooner.

Her ship barely touched down when she had gotten her master's orders to return. It seemed that something…interesting had happened in her absence.

_It was not unforeseeable_ she thought, she _**should **_have though, given what had happened.

Before she left the ship, she received a holo transmission from one of those loyal to House Fehl, her new steward, Ludo Hysh. In keeping with tradition, the man had gone to Darth Feer and informed her master that they, through his apprentice, who was their new master, were now allies of House Feer.

_You should kill the man for his stupidity_, the dark voice within her whispered.

It was a tempting thought, but now…meaningless.

Feer already knew; death of an underling would not change that.

What would be the point of killing him now, she realized, Feer already **knew** what had happened, and besides, the man was only following the dictates of Sith tradition.

If anyone was to blame, it was her. She should have sworn her new followers to silence, insisted on it.

Instead, here she was, facing her master and his family.

She needed to be cautious.

Fortunately, she had had enough of a warning that she had had a chance to prepare. She came to her master alone, a penitent look on her face. Her clothing showing off her best features, her pale shoulders were left bare, the low cut top and corset she wore showing off her curvy form.

She wanted to show her master that she came before him with nothing to hide. Plus, looking a bit more attractive could not hurt; Lady Synestra would already be calling for her head. She had no desire for Bael to add his smarmy voice to the mix.

If how she looked distracted him, it was so much the better.

The only decorative item she wore was a small sliver amulet, the center of it emblazoned with the Sith glyph that was the family crest of House Feer.

_My master must have no reason to doubt my loyalty. We are so close now, so close to absolute victory._

_I cannot let such a…__**misunderstanding **__distract him from that goal._

We are so close.

It fell to her to sooth her master's rage if that was even possible.

It would be a trial in and of itself.

Lord Feer was glaring down at her; he seemed mostly recovered from his recent injuries. A few red scars were visible on his neck and hands, but beyond that, he looked his old self.

That might work to her advantage; a pained and injured Feer might be more apt to punish her. If he was feeling better, his temper might not be as sharp.

Nothing was more dangerous than a predator when it was in pain, it tended to lash out even without cause, and she feared she had given her master ample cause to lash out at her today.

She needed to be careful, yes.

She needed to be very careful indeed.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself, girl," he demanded, "Give me one reason that you should not suffer for your little rebellion."

"Punish her father," Bael jeered, "Make her suffer for her **impotence!**"

Avaryss resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

She assumed the young master meant, _impudent_, but she did not bother to correct him.

Lord Feer did roll his eyes.

Let Feer see that I'm far smarter than his born heir.

It would go farther in softening the blow that was about to fall.

Though she did not move, her mind was working at light speed; she was trying to figure out how best to deal with this situation.

Defiance? Anger? No, she dismissed both such emotions. Her master was looking for an excuse, any excuse to punish her.

She would not give him any reason to do that.

_Tell him what he wants to hear_, the darkness whispered, _be subservient, loyal, stop just short of being a boot-lick. Her master __**would **__respond to that. From the very beginning, he had wanted her fidelity; he_ wanted her to be in awe of him. She found herself thinking back to their first meeting on Korriban, he had hoped that she would come to see herself as his child, his daughter; he wanted her to both respect and to love him.

_Give him what he wants, or at least…seem to._

Only by doing that, could she avoid the blade that now hung so low over her head.

"I meant no rebellion, my lord;" she said bowing her head even lower, "All that I've done in recent days has been for the good of our family."

"_**Our**_ family?" Synestra said with a sneer, "You are **not** one of us. You were nothing when my lord husband found you. You were a nobody from nowhere. He took you in, let you find a place within the Sith Order, and how do you pay him back? You offer betrayal."

The dark lord's wife snorted.

"My husband would be well within in his rights to end you girl, here and now."

Darth Feer smiled ruthlessly.

It may come to that wife, but for now…let's let Avaryss try and explain herself."

The lady of the house smirked.

"As you say, husband," she said nodding, "As you say."

Feer returned his attention back to Avaryss; his expression was as cold as an ice moon.

"Explain yourself, apprentice," he ordered, "Why have you forgotten your place?"

He sneered.

"Why did you try and betray me?"

_Be cautious,_ the dark voice within her said.

_You are going to have to talk fast, fast yet carefully._

Right now he is looking for any excuse to punish you.

Give him no reason to.

She could already feel a slight tingle in the back of her head, it was a sensation she remembered, and prayed not to feel again.

Her master could be quite harsh when he wanted to be. She had felt his whip once, and desired never to do so again.

She would not be punished by him, she thought…

…Never again.

IOI

During the first few weeks of her apprenticeship, her master had provoked her to anger. They had been sparring, and he had wanted to see just how far she would go if he pushed her. He had spoken ill of her family, of Fehl, of everything she had sacrificed on the path to get here. Despite everything she knew to be true, she tried to attack him, truly attack him, striking to kill, and for a moment, she had thought she had him, that her anger had finally given her the edge she needed.

He showed her that day how wrong she had truly been.

He lashed out at her with a Sith spell, and she had fallen into darkness.

For almost four days she had lain on the floor of the training room, her eyes rolled back in her head as she wandered through a world of pure and unrelenting torment. She travelled from one nightmare to another, an unceasing tour of all her mistakes, all the reasons that she should not have survived and reached this point.

She truly could not say how she found her way back, but she had managed. On the fourth day, her eyes finally opened, her body was weak, her thoughts confused. The servants that her master had left to tend to her if she awoke, or dispose of the body if she did not came for her.

In her weakened state, Avaryss lashed out the only way she could. She summoned a death field, both to restore her strength, and try to punish the one who had left her to die. The servants collapsed, their bodies turning to dust in mere moments. Their life energy did much to restore her, but at the same time left her feeling dirty.

These were not brave men and women. They were barely worth her notice.

Their life energy was weak and flaccid.

Darth Feer came to her then, and in that moment she knew to fear him, both for what he had done to her, and because of the lives bubbling inside of her.

Her master had sneered.

"You should be careful how you use that power, apprentice," he had warned her, "Draining the lives of others may restore you, but at the same time, if you are not careful, it could leave you with nothing, your body could collapse leaving you as nothing more than a breach in the Force."

He leaned in closer, so that only she could hear him.

"You do not want to end up like Darth Nilhilus do you?"

She knew the name of course, an extremely powerful Sith from some three centuries ago. He had grown so strong that he had been able to conjure a death field so powerful that it could drain the life of entire planets. Yet, that power overwhelmed him, destroying his physical form, leaving him nothing but a tangible shadow, with an eternal hunger for life and the Force.

Though she admired his power, she did not wish to become like that. Avaryss intended to spend her days enjoying all of life's pleasures. She had no desire to follow the fallen Sith Lord's path, no matter how powerful his gift had made him.

Lord Feer had been right to remind her of that, and so she learned not to rely so heavily on life drain and death field, and of course to fear her master.

It was with both those lessons in mind that she confronted her master now.

She would not make the same mistake again.

IOI

"I did not betray you master," she said keeping her head low, "Everything I've sought has been to make me stronger, to become more useful in your eyes; so that I can fulfilled your desires."

She risked a look up, flashing him a weak smile.

"I wanted to prove what a good Sith I was. I…I wanted to make you proud. I wanted you to see what kind of lord I could be."

He snorted dismissively.

"Lord? You?" Bael cackled, "You think you are something special don't you? You are no better than all the others father has taken to apprentice, one day you will be…"

"BAEL," his mother hissed, "BE SILENT!"

Feer was glaring at his son, the boy cowed under that harsh gaze; he seemed to diminish, shrinking down beneath it. Feer's fury bubbled up, but now it was not directed at his apprentice.

Avaryss just suppressed a smile.

_And there we are_, she thought, _she had known her master had taken other apprentices before her, but no one here had ever mentioned them, not once._

Bael's slip up was proof that she likely would never get what she wanted from Feer, that he would never make her a lord in his service. It was likely that her apprenticeship would end with her death, before she could grow too powerful that is.

I will need to learn to hide my strength, wait for the right opportunity.

We will see who dies first.

For now she hid those thoughts as best she could, her master returned his gaze to her, his eyes cold and disapproving.

Again she dropped her head, offering no resistance.

_Let him think that I'm his and his always, at least until the time is right._

_Then we will see who is stronger._

"You were under orders," he reminded her, "We were trying to keep our business secret, to stay one step ahead of our rivals, and what do you do? You hand over all that we gained to Darth Baras. You have given him what he needs to catch up, and it cost him nothing…nothing."

Her master frowned.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?!"

In truth, she **had** thought about what would happen. It was clear that Baras _**knew**_ about the conspiracy, likely for quite a while, and he had done nothing to stop it. He had his reasons, no doubt. Darth Baras did not strike her as a man who did things without thinking them through.

No, Baras struck her as the type of Sith who would try to turn the conspiracy to his advantage, maybe even subtly pointing the finger at his rivals, making sure the conspiracy affected them first. She figured that he was trying to do such a thing by sending her against Lord Kanis. Perhaps Kanis threatened his plans in some way, and Baras wanted him removed…

If so he had gotten what he wanted, and at the same time aided her. Now, he likely wanted Lord Feer to punish her, maybe even try to kill her.

She needed to make sure that that did **not **happen.

"I will not deny that I took what Baras offered," she admitted, "But at the same time, we should not fall into his trap, my master. We should not do his work for him."

"And what work is that, my dear?" her master asked, his voice both sweet and at the same time, venomous.

Baras clearly seeks to drive a wedge between us. We cannot allow that, especially when we are so close to our final victory over the Jedi and their Republic pawns."

Her master snorted and shook his head, clearly she was not the only one who had thought that one of the rival lord's motivations, now she had to drive the point home, drive it home, and save herself.

"If Baras had truly sought the same prize we do, he could have taken it at any time. He has the ear of Lord Vengean, as soon as the dark council gets involved, this conspiracy will end, but he does not. He had a use for it I think; by fighting amongst ourselves all we are doing is allowing him more time to use the conspiracy to serve his ends, to grow stronger."

She shook her head.

"Should we not take that away from him? Would that not serve our house best?"

"It is not just Baras that we have to worry about now, you little fool," Synestra spat, "Your actions have garnered the attention of other lords. Darth Thanaton contacted us, saying that you now have access to certain texts, texts that he had trusted Lord Kanis to hold onto, texts that must remain secure. No sooner had he ended the transmission, we received one from Lord Zash, requesting those very texts. Those are just two of the lords whose attention you have drawn, and no doubt there will be others, with all the power plays going on right now, the dark council is more likely to come down hard on your little scheme. They can't touch the higher lords, but you…they can choose to make an example of you. They can punish this house for your bungling."

"As I said, I did it to make me stronger, to make myself more useful to you," Avaryss repeated, those words to her master, barely acknowledging his lord wife.

It was Feer she needed to please, not the lady of the house.

"Have I ever failed you, my master," she asked.

"That business on the wreck," Synestra brought up.

Avaryss frowned.

She needed to get away from Synestra and Bael; she could feel that she was making progress with her master, progress that was being slowed by his family.

"Master, may we please speak in private, what I have to say is for your ears alone. Your loyal pupil wishes an audience."

He sneered at her, but after a few moments, agreed.

"Guards leave us," he ordered, "You as well, my love, take our son."

Feer grinned.

I will see to Avaryss'…correction in private.

"Feer," Synestra said, "My sweet…I…"

"Have your own duties to attend to, I'm sure, including our son's training."

He gave her a cold smile.

"As I said, leave us."

The lady obeyed, begrudgingly, Bael looked disappointed that he would not get to see Avaryss suffer. He left with a sullen look on his face, glancing back at Avaryss and her low cut robes.

She sighed.

_Finally._

_Now I can make some real progress._

Her master said nothing until they were alone, he continued to glare down on her, she did not move, not until he ordered her to do so.

Finally, her master sighed.

"Did you honestly think you were fooling me, apprentice? Me?"

Master I…"

"You think that I've not been watching you? You think that I would be so foolish to send you out into the galaxy without making sure that I knew what you were up to?"

He shook his head.

"As always, I'm two steps ahead of you, my child. I know about the alchemist you snatched from Darth Terrog. I know about your seduction of Baron Dresco's daughter. I know that you have been using the missions that I've sent you on to gather both resources, and disciples."

He sneered.

"Did you honestly think you had me fooled?"

She shrugged.

The fact that he knew about Taya did not surprise her. Given their history, it should have come as no surprise that the two girls' had…renewed their relationship.

And yet, his information was no perfect, he seemed to know nothing about her arrangement with TCS, and he seemed to know nothing about Quenya.

Perhaps his sources were not as good as he liked to think.

"Did you honestly think you had me fooled, apprentice?"

"Fooling you was never the plan, my lord. I did what I could to improve myself. A Sith cannot survive without a powerbase. I needed to make sure that I had one. If I had not made the attempt, then you would have all the evidence you would need that I was a flawed apprentice, and unworthy of your training."

She made his cold gaze with one of her own.

"I do not apologize for being Sith. I was simply following my nature; securing power is part of that.

I make no excuses."

Her master pursed her lips, his hand went to his chin; he scratched it thoughtfully. Avaryss tried not to flinch, if he did decide to punish her, it would likely be worse than before.

She drew on the Force, and her will, to try and shield her mind; she would not be such easy prey this time. She…

Her master chuckled.

"Well done, my child," he said warmly.

"Well done indeed."

Avaryss blinked.

What?

"Master? I…I don't understand?"

He smiled.

"You…you are not mad at me?" she asked.

"I am angry with you, yes," he admitted, "But not for the reason that you think."

He shook his head.

"You should have ordered your followers to hold their tongues. You should have waited until we were victorious before revealing your new holdings. You forced my hand; I had to call you in here, for Synestra's benefit, if for nothing else."

Avaryss frowned.

"You want the lady to think our relationship is strained?"

He nodded.

"There are many eyes upon on us now, my dear. No one is completely above suspicion, not even my darling wife."

Avaryss nodded.

He wanted her to think that they were at odds, but if they weren't…?

"You believe Lady Synestra is spying on us?"

"I believe that she will go to any length to ensure that Bael becomes Lord Feer one day, even if that means seeking out the aid of our rivals. I have no proof mind you, but the suspicion remains.

"You think she had a hand in Darth Terrog's attack?"

"Maybe," he said with a shrug, "Regardless, we must be cautious. Too many are watching us now; we can give them no reason to interfere."

He gestured for her to rise and follow him. She obeyed and followed him out onto a balcony overlooking the Feer Family estate. Her master pulled out a small device from his robe, and pressed a button on its side. The door behind them slid shut. Avaryss winced; there was a slight buzzing in her sonic bafflers.

"I think it is time to bring you fully into my confidence," he said, "Your choices prove that you have what it takes to lead House Feer one day."

And what of young master Bael?" she asked.

"We will see if he has the wisdom and skill to survive the coming months. He maybe mine, but…I question his worthiness sometimes. I suppose that is not very fatherly of me, but…I'm Sith, I need to look out for the interests of our house."

Of course, my master," Avaryss said.

"I could not agree more."

"He nodded grimly.

"Then it is time for you to hear the next phase of my plan. Being that you will be the tip of my spear, it is necessary that you understand what is at stake."

She nodded, but tried not to appear overly eager.

She did not wish to make him question the wisdom of sharing this with her.

"What you said about Baras trying to manipulate the conspiracy, I think you are right. Baras is no fool, he is Darth Vengean's apprentice, and he is therefore only one heartbeat away from a seat on the dark council. Baras is not above going after his own master, not when such a prize hangs in the balance."

"And what about us," she asked, "What prize are we seeking/"

Feer grinned hungrily.

"More than most people realize. I have gone to great lengths to ensure that the dark council thinks me only interested in Darth Terrog's holdings. Everything that I've done up to this point has been to convince them that that is my sole motivation."

"But it is not?"

"No apprentice," Darth Feer said flashing a cunning smile.

"I have a much larger appetite."

The two of them looked out over the compound, and what it took to maintain holdings here on Dromund Kaas."

"You wish a seat on the dark council/" she said, "Bringing the conspiracy to light, and ending it would go a long way towards accomplishing that goal."

"True," he said, "But again, you are thinking too small apprentice. Remember back to the gathering we attended, and the role our dear Emperor played in it."

She snorted.

"He did not play any role," she said, "He did not even show up. We couldn't…"

She blinked, and looked at her master with new eyes.

He grinned hungrily.

"Do you understand now, apprentice?"

She blinked.

"We should not even be discussing this," she said, "It could be construed as treason."

"Is it treason to acknowledge that the Empire needs strong leadership," he asked, "should we sit idly by and do nothing while the Empire burns around us?"

"It is risky," she said, "Are you sure it is worth the risk?"

"I think we both know the answer to that question."

She shook her head.

She was ambitious, but this…this…

It could blow up in their faces.

"No one has seen the Emperor in months. His voice has not addressed us in all that time. His wrath has not been seen, and his hands remain hidden, reaching for nothing."

Her master shook his head.

"The one, who ends the conspiracy, will be seen as a hero of the Empire, just as the Emperor himself was millennia ago when he saved us from the Sith Holocaust. The dark council does what they can to maintain things, but without a singular grand vision, how can the Empire hope to grow and prosper?"

"It takes an emperor to rule an empire," she said.

"Quite right, my child, quite right."

She gave him a sly smile.

"I doubt the Emperor will just step aside for you."

He does not have to, the longer he remains in the shadows, the less weight his words carry. There are plenty of ambitious Sith out there, just waiting for someone to unify them."

"I suppose there are," she agreed, "but still those ambitious Sith will be hesitant to try and follow anyone against the old regime."

This is why I must show them my strength, and the strength of those under my command."

He smiled at her.

"That is where you come in, my child."

She nodded. She was not sure about this, but if her master could pull this off…

…who knew what rewards might await them.

"And what is to be my part in all this?"

"A great leader cannot stand alone; he needs hands to reach out for him, a voice to speak for him, and a wrath to slay for him.

Feer put an arm around her shoulder.

"Imagine it my dear, he Empire ours to do with as we see fit."

She shivered the thought of it, the challenges and prizes that awaited them at the royal court.

"It is a beautiful vision, master, but we must always remember, that no one can rule forever. Someone must be always ready to take up the reins when the ruler is no longer able to maintain his position."

"It is so," he agreed.

She laughed.

"As you said, 'it takes an emperor to rule an empire, or…an Empress."

Now Feer laughed.

"You are ambitious, aren't you my child?"

"I am what you made me my lord," she said, slipping out of his arm, and leaning on the railing. Her expression changed becoming almost dreamy.

He painted a pretty picture, and at the same time offered her an excellent opportunity.

He had given her a chance to make him believe that she was completely and utterly loyal, she would not waste that. This plan of his was ambitious, perhaps even insane, but it did have its uses.

She sighed.

"Back on Oridanna, I use to imagine that I was more than what I was, that I could be more than Andur Lylos' bargaining chip."

She turned to him, her burning eyes looking fondly upon her master.

"I loved Andur Lylos, but he never understood me the way that you do, master. He never offered me what you have…"

She dropped to one knee.

"I will stand with you, and make you proud, this I swear…

She looked up with the warmest of smiles she could manage.

"Father." she murmured.

Darth Feer smiled.

"So it has finally happened," he said, "You have finally given up your hate."

"I've directed it at our enemies;" she said, "That hates keeps me strong, and will serve me well in bringing our plan to fruition."

"Well said, my daughter," he said, "Very well said."

She rose from her knee; her eyes were both hungry and cruel.

"How do we start, my lord," she asked, "How do we find our way to the throne?"

"We start with your next target," he said, "Today, we end the conspiracy."

"And tomorrow…the Empire itself will be ours."

"As you say, my master," she said bowing her head, "I will make sure that you get everything you deserve."

"We shall both get what we deserve," he said.

Avaryss almost laughed. He truly had no idea, but he would learn.

Taking a throne for life did not guarantee that you would live long.

She was determined to see that he learned that lesson, and then…and then…

That Empire itself would learn what it meant to have a ruler that loved the Empire.

They would learn, and bow…

…or else.


	35. Visions of the Future

**Chapter 35: Visions of the Future**

_Hm, I did not know that the human body could bend that way._

Avaryss tilted her head slightly as the prisoner continued to wail in agony.

For the briefest of moments, she felt an uncomfortable sensation, like her throat was trying to close up.

She rubbed at her neck, the memory of a long abandoned breathing mask that had once kept her alive filling her thoughts, that and the memory of the exquisite pain of a Sith interrogation.

She moved her hand away quickly, hoping that no one else would notice. It was never a good idea to suggest weakness in front of a fellow Sith.

_You need to be strong, the darkness whispered._

_You need to be cold and __**powerful!**_

She nodded grimly.

_Yes._

_She could do that._

Her master laughed as he continued his…_questioning_ of their prisoner. It seemed to her that Lord Feer was getting lost in his work. He had not even tried asking a single question in the last five minutes.

Avaryss' eyes narrowed.

_He needs to be careful_, she thought.

_The man can tell us nothing if he dies during the breaking phase of the interrogation, and we do need answers._

Our next target will not reveal itself, after all.

A fresh scream escaped the man's lips as her master switched tactics. Lord Feer's golden eyes blazed with dark pleasure as he switched between the torments that the dark side of the Force allowed him to inflict. Avaryss eyed the prisoner with an evaluating look, how much longer would he be able to resist?

Hopefully, she thought, not much longer.

It was kind of hard to answer a question when your mind had been flayed away.

She glanced at their three guests, her eyes focusing on the one of highest rank. He was the only full lord among them, with the exception of her master of course.

He looked a little green.

"Your master enjoys his work, youngster." he said.

Avaryss smiled.

"That he does, my lord," she agreed with a sly smile,

"That he does."

Lord Goss frowned. He did not seem to be enjoying the show any more than she was.

Surprising, she thought. The man stood only one step lower than her own master.

She was surprised to find him squeamish.

A slender man with short brown hair and a beard, Loss Goss' presence did not suggest that he was a Lord of the Sith. A long time member of the pyramid of knowledge, he was to be one of Darth Thanaton's most loyal supporters.

Yet here he was aiding us.

"Surely there are other ways to extract information" he said to himself, just low enough that she could hear, and Darth Feer would not.

Not that his comment would insult her master, not now.

He was currently lost in the dark side, lost in making the prisoner suffer.

The Emperor himself could walk in right now, and Feer would be hard pressed to acknowledge him.

_A fatal mistake, that degree of distraction_, she made note of it, for future reference.

Any advantage she could gain over her master would be worth it. When the time came…she intended to be ready.

Lord Feer finally stopped.

The prisoner slumped down against the table; he only remained upright thanks to his bounds.

"Are you still will us, my friend?" Feer asked, "I do hope that I'm not boring you."

Avaryss only just kept herself from rolling her eyes.

This was a side of her master she had never seen before, it surprised her.

She had always assumed to that Bael got his sadistic streak from his mother.

She was surprised to see her own master so eager to put it on display.

Both Bael and his mother were currently away, attending to some other matter for their house. Avaryss was grateful that they were gone.

Things were tense enough with their guests, they did not need Bael and Synestra making things worse.

She frowned slightly, her master's sadism shocked her. It showed a lack of control.

_And this is the man who wishes to overthrow the Emperor,_ the dark voice within her whispered.

Avaryss frowned.

Perhaps…she had made a mistake.

When he had first made the suggestion that they work together to ascend to the height of Imperial power, she had agreed. She had been lost in the moment she supposed, the picture he had painted for her had been too good, too distracting.

She had not been thinking, but now her head was clear.

She was thinking now, and she did not like their chances.

Absent, or not, the Emperor was **still **the Emperor. He had ruled the Sith for a millennia! She doubted that Darth Feer was the first to think the old man vulnerable. One did not rise to the throne by being blind or foolish.

All it would take would be one wrong word, one hint of her master's desire, and that would be it. The Emperor's Wrath would descend upon House Feer. The master of them all kept a powerful warrior at his side, his wrath given form.

The Emperor's agent would not stop until all of House Feer was burned to ash. Their house torn down and destroyed, both root and stem.

She did not like their chances if that came to pass.

Though she possessed little talent for precognition, she had spent an evening in deep meditation, trying to probe the dark side, to try to get an idea of what might happen if they remained on this course. As she had meditated, she must have fallen asleep, and then… it had happened…

…In the deepest and darkest of moments she had seen something.

_She had dreamed of herself as an old woman, small and hunched over, walking with the help of a cane, her aged body hidden by a heavy dark robe, but at the same time she felt the power of the dark side coursing through her. It was like an inferno in her blood. She was all powerful, perhaps even invincible._

_She __**was**__ the Emperor, and the galaxy was crushed beneath her heel._

_The felling of it…the power of it…It was __**intoxicating!**_

_She dreamed of a great space station, perhaps the mightiest ever built. Flanking by eight red robes royal guards, she made her way to her throne room. The journey was exhausting, her body was not what it had once been, but she was not discouraged._

_She smiled._

_The dark side was hers, and __**hers**__ alone, her apprentice did not understand, he was useful, but that was all. He would never take her place, never rise any higher than she wished, and now…he had found someone new. She would test them both, and take the one that triumphed._

_Beware your master, she thought._

_The one lesson he had never learned. _

_She would remain the one true power in the universe, the dark side was __**hers.**_

_She would never give it up._

_She would rule the galaxy forever and…one day…the universe!_

_What enemy could stand against her? Who would dare oppose her mighty Empire?_

_She cackled to herself._

_No one._

_She had just settled into her throne when she saw an enemy fleet emerge from hyperspace. She frowned as her blood red eyes peered from beneath her dark cowl. She could feel the enemies' approach; feel their courage and their determination. They sought to destroy the station, to destroy the station and murder her._

_She smiled._

_They were in for a surprise._

_Her spotted hand went to a button built into her throne._

"_Fire at will, commander," she rasped, her aged voice still possessing some strength. She…_

_She…_

_She woke up._

Avaryss had sat up, her heart pounding in her ears. She could still feel the heaviness of old age about her, that and the burning power of the dark side.

What she had felt, it…it was **amazing!**

She had never known such power!

She had giggled, almost drunk on the memory.

_I will be Emperor_, she thought.

My blood _**will**_ sit the Sith throne one day.

It was certain.

She could _**feel**_ it.

It was for that reason she had said nothing about Darth Feer's plan. If it was her destiny to rule, perhaps this is how it would happen.

Perhaps he would win, perhaps he would become Emperor, and in time, she would destroy him. She would take his place.

_Or perhaps you will __**stop**__ him_, the dark voice whispered; _perhaps you will betray Feer to the Emperor._

_Could she do that_, she wondered.

_Did she __**dare?**_

_The Emperor would reward you well for knowledge of this treachery, and more to the point, if you __**ended **__it, any reward you asked for would likely be yours._

She could have herself named to the royal court, put herself in a position that she could challenge for the throne one day.

Possible futures had danced before the young Sith's eyes, too many to be sure which would lead her to where she wanted to go.

In the end, she decided to be patient…for now.

The Emperor was not going anywhere.

She still had time to come to a decision.

A fresh scream from her master's victim brought her back her back to the present, that and her master shifting his attention to her.

She stood at attention, awaiting his orders.

Darth Feer grinned.

"Would you like to take a turn, apprentice," he asked, "It has been a while since you questioned someone hasn't it?"

He chuckled.

"You do not want to get out of practice."

Avaryss smiled.

The memory of her torment on Korriban had spoiled the joy of information extraction. She would do it if she had to, but it no longer held any appeal beyond that.

No, she would not deny her master his pleasures.

"I would not wish to spoil your own fun, my master," she said offering a slight bow.

"Besides, I'm learning so much right now. It has been some time since I've been able to watch you work."

Feer sneered, if he accepted her praise at face value she could not say, his eyes fell on their guests.

"What about the rest of you," her master asked, "Would any of you like to take a turn?"

"Lord Goss coughed into a handkerchief, clearly trying to hide his distaste.

At his side stood Taya, **his** apprentice, Avaryss was a little surprised to find that her friend had been drawn into this. Men like Goss were usually beneath the notice of a Darth.

Taya said nothing; she did not want to appear over eager, not when her master clearly held reservations about this.

Their third guest had none.

Lady Tazia Dresco, Taya's mother, grinned sadistically.

"I will take a turn, my lord," she said, "It has been a while since I've been able to flex these particular muscles."

Darth Feer laughed, and motioned her forward.

"As you wish," he said," In fact, I find myself intrigued."

He chuckled.

"I've heard stories about you Milady. I'm eager to see if they are all true."

Taya's mother's eyes sparkled with predatory delight.

"You will find them quite true, my lord," she promised.

"You will see."

She went over to the small table near the prisoner, an array of chrome blades and bludgeons awaited her.

Avaryss shivered. She could feel Lady Tazia's pleasure through the Force.

Taya slid up close to her.

"Mother once dallied with someone in the Inquisitors," she whispered to her friend, "she grew quite fond of interrogations during their time together."

Avaryss shook her head.

Too bad for this poor fool, she thought.

The prisoners name was Tyber Ko; he was a smuggler by trade, active mostly in the Republic's outer rim.

He was also a former member of Republic SIS, he had left the service after the war, or most people thought. His name had come up several times in the decoded messages used by the Republic Conspiracy. While Avaryss had been dealing the Republic Enclave of Master Pondar, Lord Feer had placed a bounty on the smuggler. It had been high enough to attract the attention of a Mandalorean, and so the man had found himself captured and brought back to Dromund Kaas.

A fact he was likely regretting right now.

Her master had contacted Lord Goss because the smuggler had been operating in territories that he had interests in, Interests that involved House Dresco as well. That had brought Taya's mother and father into this. Baron Dresco was off world right now, but was well-represented by his wife and daughter.

Taya's mother picked up a rather nasty looking blade; it looked more like a butcher's tool than a surgical instrument.

Avaryss winced when the lady began her work.

Ouch, she thought, grateful that it was not she under the lady's tender care.

Taya looked a little green herself, despite what she had seen during their training, not that Avaryss blamed her.

Lady Tazia was clearly no mere amateur when it came to inflicting pain.

"Do not look away daughter," she said in between the man's screams, "This is part of your education, you must watch."

"Yes, mother," Taya said steeling herself.

Through the Force Avaryss could feel the lady's pleasure as she indulged herself.

Get used to it, the darkness within seemed to say, if you are to be Empress one day you will likely see a lot of this.

Yes, she thought resisting the revulsion that tried to rise up.

I will be strong.

This act is of the dark side, I must learn to draw strength from it.

The future is mine.

All I need to do is claim it.

IOI

Two very long hours later, the group retired to Lord Feer's solar, Warmaster Feore awaited them, ready to provide whatever information they needed of him, what was left of the prisoner was being dealt with by the cleaning droids.

Darth Feer chuckled as he wiped at some blood that had gotten on his hands.

"Hoth," he said jovially, turning to his apprentice.

"It seems you are going to Hoth, my apprentice."

Avaryss nodded.

She had never heard of this…Hoth before, but it did not matter. She would go where ever this conspiracy led, she would go, and destroy those involved.

"A terrible place," Lord Goss said pouring himself a glass of wine from her master's stores.

A frozen wasteland," Taya's mother added, "A wasteland that has become a graveyard since the last war ended."

Lord Goss shook his head.

"I can't imagine what the Republic would want there."

"According to my research," Warmaster Feore said, "The man Lady Tazia just…retired was well-known for his ability to get military contraband.

"Hoth would be a good place to acquire such things," Lady Tazia said, she was still glowing after the experience of extracting the information from their late prisoner.

'My Lord Husband has profited greatly from going through the wreckage there. The space battle that occurred during the last war has left many prizes upon that world's frozen surface."

Avaryss considered what she was hearing.

How would Imperial wreckage benefit the conspiracy?

Warmaster Feore provided the answer.

"If one were trying to frame a Sith House for this action or that, Hoth would be the perfect place to acquire tools to aid in such a scheme. Weapons, uniforms, and more importantly, technology that can be traced back to many a Sith House can be found among the dead that fell on that frozen world.

"And the cold would do much to preserve anything provocative," Feer said nodding.

"Yes," he agreed, "Hoth would be a most valuable resource for our enemies."

Lord Goss straightened.

"Dresco and I have holdings on Hoth. If you wish it my lord, my apprentice will go and acquire what you need. Taya is quite skilled."

"Your offer is appreciated Goss," Lord Feer said nodding, "But I would prefer my own apprentice handled this matter. Avaryss is a proven commodity, and she has a talent for locating and destroying the Empire's enemies."

Avaryss smiled slightly.

It was always nice to be acknowledged for ones skills.

Lord Goss, however, did not look pleased.

"Some of what my agents are doing on Hoth is a secret, my lord," he reminded her master, "I am hesitant to allow an outside such intimate access to my affairs."

Feer glared at him, about to put the lesser lord in his place for seeking to deny a Darth, and he would have, had Taya's mother not intervened.

"House Dresco **also **has interests on that world," she informed both men. "My husband's salvage operation would be more than able to accommodate **both** your apprentices. WE are more than capable of providing both a foot hold, and a base of operations for your missions there."

The two men regarded the older woman, and then looked at the girls.

Darth Feer smiled.

"Yes, he murmured, "yes, I think that will do just fine. You do not have a problem with this solution, do you, Goss?"

No," the other lord agreed, "If house Dresco is willing, I shall accept that this matter be made a joint operation as well."

Avaryss tried not to laugh.

_A joint operation?_

_She did not think so..._

_Goss and Feer had no idea._

Taya was **hers.** She had been hers since their time on Korriban. Taya would say only what Avaryss told her, she knew where her future laid. Taya would do nothing to jeopardize Avaryss' success.

This is perfect she thought.

She would be able to work completely unfettered on this…Hoth.

"I shall accompany the girls, I think," Lady Tazia stated with a cool smile.

"It is has been far too long since I've tasted the blood of our enemies."

The statement surprised Avaryss, and from the look on her face, Taya too.

Avaryss shot her friend a questioning look, the blonde merely shrugged.

She clearly did not understand this either.

"I would hate to take you away from your business here, Lady Tazia," Feer said, clearly giving the woman and out.

Taya's mother did not accept.

"I've been meaning to visit my husband's Hoth operations. I find that things run better after such visits."

She smiled.

"It helps to remind our servants just who it is that they are serving, and in some cases, serves well to motivate their future efforts."

Avaryss glanced over at her master, hoping that he would intervene.

She had no need for a chaperone, and more to the point, she did not desire to see Taya distracted.

Her friend was almost hers, body and soul; she did not need her mother confusing the matter.

Sadly, she got no help from Darth Feer, not in this.

He shrugged.

"As you wish, milady," he informed the lady Tazia, "My apprentice and her crew will see you safely to Hoth, and once there, we can begin our operations.

He turned to Avaryss.

"Tyber Ko was a known associate of the Red Eclipse, a pirate gang, is that not correct Feore?"

The old Warmaster nodded.

"You will seek them out; find out if they have been selling any imperial contraband to Republic agents. If so get the name of those buyers, and their locations, and then…"

"Dispose of them," Avaryss said bowing, "It will be done, my master."

"Good," Feer said, "Most excellent, my child."

"With your leave then, my lord," Taya's mother said bowing slightly, "I shall inform my husband of what is happening, and prepare for the journey."

"My apprentice will be ready as well," Lord Goss promised.

Taya nodded, though Avaryss could sense her nervousness of going on this trip with her lady mother.

We will handle it, Avaryss thought.

We have come too far for anything else.

Before she could leave, Lord Feer stopped her, his hand on her arm.

"Do not let the lady intimidate you, my dear," he advised, "You know our destiny. You know what awaits us when we succeed.

She thought of herself on the throne. She imagined what kind of life she would lead when the throne was hers, what secrets would be unveiled to her.

It was worth the risk.

That future…was worth the risk.

"She smiled slyly.

"I know, my master." She said.

"The future…will be ours."


	36. Change

**Chapter 36: Change**

The journey to Hoth had been an uneventful one. Avaryss' interceptor made good time, and arrived several hours before they were expected. The Sith had established a space station in orbit, just in case the weather on the planet below did not allow for a safe landing of supplies or troops.

It seemed that salvage was not the Empire's only interest here, Avaryss realized, perhaps there was more to this ice ball than met the eye.

She reached out with the Force, trying to sense what was so important. The world had a…strange flow to it. She felt something…familiar…something she could not put her finger on.

She found herself looking forward to going down for a closer look.

They stopped at the station first. Lady Tazia's people provided them with suits and equipment, tools that would allow for Avaryss and her team to function better in the planet's sub-zero temperatures. They even offered transport down to the surface. House Dresco had been preparing to send down a supply drop in special adapted shuttles. These ships had been designed to function in the ice world's harsh environment, and most important of all, they were known by the various elements that had settled here since the last war.

The various outlaw factions that had bases here knew not to interfere with the shuttles. House Dresco had paid to ensure their safety

According to Lady Tazia, it would be the easiest and safest way to journey down to the planet.

The older Sith had said little to Avaryss since they had left Dromund Kaas, and more to the point had done her best to keep her daughter from Avaryss' side as well.

She did not really know what to make of that.

Did Tazia know about their…_alliance?_ Did she disapprove of the fact that her daughter had feelings for Avaryss, and that those feelings had caused her to side with Lord Feer's Apprentice?

She could not say for sure. The Lady Tazia barely looked at Avaryss during the journey, when they did speak it had been only about logistics, and what they might expect when they reached Hoth.

The fact that her mother was with them, had had an effect on Taya, she said little or nothing to her old friend.

Truth be told, Avaryss had looked forward to Taya's presence on this mission. It had been awhile since they had hunted real prey together, and she had looked forward to the journey as well. Taya would, by now, been a well-spring of information about Goss' interests, and after a night or two in her dear Avy's quarters, she would have been so bound to her friend that no amount of training from Goss would ever free her.

Feer's apprentice was not above using any weapon in her arsenal to get what she wanted. If an act of love would make Taya hers, she would do it.

Besides, it would be…an _amusing distraction._

Yes, Avaryss had looked forward to that. She would have happily made Taya even more her willing slave, but…Lady Tazia's presence had prevented that. During the entire journey, the daughter had never left the mother's side. The two had spent almost the entire journey training in the ship's cargo hold, sparing in some form of hand to hand combat that Avaryss was not familiar with.

She had watched some of that training on one of the bridge monitors; it was a most impressive display.

Clad only in their undergarments, the two women had fought back and forth. Their already quick reflexes made even quicker by their skill with the Force.

It was a display of skill that was lethal and…strangely sensual.

Rink had been mesmerized as he watched. Avaryss, using her own understanding of lightsaber combat, tried to decipher the fighting style. Ironically enough, it was her brother who figured it out, when he had glanced down at the screen that Avaryss and Rink had been watching.

"Echani," he said nodding, "That explains a lot."

Avaryss blinked and looked at him.

"Echani?" she asked.

"I'm guessing that your friend Taya and her Mum are of Echani blood. The fighting style is inherent to their people, and the fact that Lady Taya looks so much like her mother is further evidence."

She gave her brother a questioning look.

"Evidence of what?"

"I've heard it said that Echani children are born with the features of their same sex parent. Daughters are almost exact copies of their mothers, sons of their fathers, or so the stories say."

Beric chuckled.

"I had an Echani trained instructor in basic, as lethal as she was beautiful, the men use to say that if they had ever gotten with her; at least they would know any daughters produced of that union would be pretty."

"Well…that's wizard," Rink chuckled, "Me…I just thought that Lady Taya might be a clone."

Avaryss did not reply; she had been too busy thinking.

An interesting genetic trick, she thought, she wondered what purpose it served the Echani in the past.

It might be fun to find out.

Regardless, it gave her another lever to pull with Taya's mother; she would ask the woman about her Echani heritage, if she even was born of those people. It might lead to a better understanding between them, and offer her a way to get into the lady's good graces.

Sadly she had not really gotten the chance; she got the feeling that the Lady Tazia did not like her very much.

If that was so, it made it that much harder to get Taya alone, much less find out about the matters she had trusted Taya to investigate while she had been gone hunting for Jedi Master Pondar.

This is just something that I'm going to have to deal with, she realized. Once this mission was concluded, she would be able to get Taya back on track, for now she simply had to focus on finding the link between the outlaws on Hoth, and the conspiracy she had been investigating.

That goal needed to take priority right now. She would see to matters between her and Taya later.

For now, she needed to focus on the mission.

The group was to be divided among the six shuttles heading down to the planet. Rink was to remain behind on standby, just in case they needed a quick exit from the planet. Beric agreed to go with Quenya, to make sure the former Jedi did not decide to switch sides when she got close enough to a place with Republic leanings. Avaryss had expected to take a shuttle down with Taya. But again, her mother blocked her.

She would instead be accompanied by Ensign Holli, the engineer was quite eager to get this mission started. She even had hopes that she might find some components that would help get the HK up and running.

Avaryss was willing to give her that chance. They had been so close last time.

She was starting to think that if anyone could get the droid functioning again, it was the ensign.

The shuttles all launched together from the station, they would rendezvous at House Dresco's facility down on the surface.

Avaryss sat next to Holli both now dressed for cold temperatures. The Sith soldiers that were accompanying them said nothing. They seemed more than focused on what was to come.

Avaryss reached out with the Force, trying to get an idea of what was awaiting them.

It did not take her long to get an answer.

The ships fell under attack as soon as they breached the atmosphere.

Explosive shells began to detonate all around them. The shuttle rocked violently with every near impact.

_So much for safety_, Avaryss thought.

_It seemed…that they were expected. _

She rose from her seat and made her way to the cockpit. One of the two imperial pilots looked back at her as she entered.

"What is going on?" she demanded.

"We are taking fire from the surface, my lord," the man replied.

_No kidding, _she thought rolling her eyes.

"Take evasive action," she ordered, "but get us to the surface as fast as you can."

"As you say," the two pilots replied in unison.

She returned to her seat, shaking her head.

She would have been more confident about this had Rink been at the helm.

"What is going on, my lord?" Holli asked.

"We're being fired upon from the surface."

"By who?"

"I don't know," Avaryss admitted, shaking her head.

Her eyes narrowed.

So much for them being safe in the Dresco shuttles, it seemed that Lady Tazia had been wrong, that she had misjudged the situation...

She could not help but wonder if this had something to do with the conspiracy as well.

Dresco had paid off the scum on the surface, or so Lady Tazia had said.

Perhaps the person, or persons, working with Tyber Ko were on to them. Perhaps this reception was to make sure that her investigation went no further.

Her holo communicator was beeping; she pulled it out and activated it.

Lady Tazia shimmered into existence.

"What is going on?" Avaryss demanded.

"Obviously my husband did not pay the scum enough," the lady replied sourly. "They will answer for this insult with their lives."

It was at that moment that the shuttle accelerated dropping quickly, leaving Avaryss' stomach somewhere above them.

"Fear not, young one," Tazia said, "My pilots know their business. We will be safely down shortly."

The hologram winked out.

Avaryss sighed.

She hoped that Taya's mother was correct.

This was not the way she had wanted to start this mission.

The shuttle continued to rock back and forth. The impacts did not seem to be hitting the shuttles, but they were enough to knock them around a bit.

Avaryss glanced at over at Holli, the engineer's expression was one of wary concern.

Our shields should hold," she said, "Ground based rockets shouldn't have the punch to…"

The shuttle shook violently; a loud whine came from the back and fell silent.

The shuttle began to pitch forward.

Avaryss heard screaming in the distance.

She did not realize that it was her own.

A section of the hull blew away, revealing a bleak blue sky. Through the hole she watched as another of the shuttles was hit, and vanished in a ball of orange flame.

The world beyond spun crazily.

If you asked her later what happened next, Avaryss would not have been able to tell you. They were hit again, and then a second time, alarms blared in her ears. She remembered a sense of vertigo as something tore away the straps holding her in her seat. Then she was flying through the air, something long and sharp digging into her shoulders.

WHAT THE?!

There was a flash of heat behind her, the shuttle finally meeting its fiery demise. She heard the cry of a pained animal, but was unable to look up, explosion continued to go off all around her, and her flight became chaotic as she seemed to zig and zag through the air. She had been unable to focus. The world swung back and forth like some crazed pendulum. Something struck her head and the world went black.

The last thought to go through her head was this could not be happening.

She was destined to sit the Imperial throne!

She could not die like this!

She couldn't!

Then everything went dark.

IOI

She awoke to both pain and cold.

Avaryss groaned and opened her eyes.

She was surrounded by snow and ice.

The young Sith rubbed the back of her head as she rose gingerly. Yet still, a wave of nausea almost put her back on the snowy ground. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply until the dizzy spell passed. When it finally did she slowly opened her eyes. She sat up and took in her surroundings, spying several pieces of imperial equipment, and feeling a slight cold breeze on her face.

Salvage, she wondered; had she been found by some scavenger? Was she now a prisoner?

That did not seem the case, she was unbound, and her lightsaber was still clipped to her hip. If she was a prisoner, her jailor had made two very foolish moves.

If she was supposed to be a captive, she would make them answer for it.

She looked up seeing sunlight streaming through an opening in the ice, a circular hole large enough for several people to slip through.

Slowly she began to piece together what had happened.

The ship had exploded, she remembered that, she remembered…falling…flying, yet could not quite remember how.

She had been in no shape to call on the Force; that had been for certain. She had not been able to use her powers, yet, somehow she had survived. Now she seemed to have found her way into an ice cave of some sort. She examined her body she saw no sign of serious injury, and any pain could be dismissed as minor cuts and bruises.

Sadly, her weapon was not so fortunate.

A close examination of her lightsaber revealed that her weapon had taken some damage during the trip down struck by some shrapnel, perhaps. The casing of the hilt was damaged, she suspected that the power cell within had been destroyed.

Not good if she wanted to use the weapon any time soon.

She had a replacement cell in one of the pouches built into her combat suit, but it would take time to repair her weapon. She was not sure where her rescuer was, and thought it prudent that they not realize that her weapon had been damaged, just in case.

Besides, she was not defenseless; she could kill with the Force as easily as she could her lightsaber. Whoever had wished her ill on this planet had failed in their mission. She still drew breath, and could fight if she needed to.

Of course that knowledge led to another question. Yes, she had survived…

_But how,_ she wondered.

_How?_

_How am I still alive?_

The crunching of snow outside and a slight buzzing sound told her that something was coming.

She lay back down, feigning unconsciousness. She watched through slitted eyes, wondering just who or what had brought her here.

She was curious who this person was. She felt a familiar presence, but…it seemed…different somehow. It…

A large furry creature entered the cave, carrying more pieces of imperial tech, a portable transmitter she thought. She observed she watched the creature through slitted eyes; she did nothing to reveal that she had awakened.

The creature was…unfamiliar to her.

It was humanoid, but covered in a thick grey fur, broad shoulders, with a large circular head. Four dark eyes peered out from it non-descript brow and a small pink proboscis buzzed thoughtfully as the creature sat down its burden.

_What are you,_ Avaryss thought, _and why would you save me? What is…?_

The alien shuddered and then, began to shrink.

Avaryss only just managed to suppress a gasp.

What the?!

The hulking frame shrank inward, the fur dissolving away; it was replaced with pale skin, human skin. The grey round head sprouted a nest of curly red hair. The four eyes seemed to melt together becoming two human ones…familiar ones.

As Avaryss watched the alien thing vanished and in its place…

…stood Ensign Holli!

The engineer shivered as she picked up a damaged coat from a crate behind her. The engineer no longer wore her thermal suit, and seemed to be making do with a simple coat and coveralls. She muttered to herself as she inspected her prize, she opened a small panel on the side and got to work.

Trying to repair the transmitter, Avaryss realized, good, but that did not explain what she had just seen.

It was time to get some answers.

"Ensign?" Avaryss said her voice both strong and cold.

The girl yelped and spun around.

"My Lord?" she gasped, "you…you are _**awake!**_ Praise the Emperor!"

Avaryss sat up, she pinned the young officer with a cold gaze. She was not sure what she had seen just yet, but…

She would know...

"What are you?" she asked.

Holli gave her a wry smile.

"Um…ah…An engineer in the Imperial navy," she replied.

Avaryss' eyes narrowed.

She was in no mood for games.

"What are you," she repeated, "NOW!"

Holli winced.

"I'm…a human woman," she said.

"You weren't a few moments ago."

The girl looked sick.

"You saw _**that?"**_

Avaryss nodded.

"Damn," Holli said shaking her head.

"Now I've done it."

Avaryss' frown deepened.

"You will explain yourself, now." she demanded.

The girl looked down meekly.

"That was a Talz," she said, "I find their shape serves well in cold places."

"So you are a Talz?" Avaryss said, "That is your species?"

"No, it was just something that I can turn into. I was a Talz, but now I'm a human woman again."

"You are _**not**_ human," Avaryss said flatly.

The Ensign shrugged.

"I am…_most of the time."_

She pursed her lips, she looked anxious, perhaps wondering how best to explain this.

"It is a bit of a story," she said.

Avaryss glanced around the cave.

"Are we in danger?" she asked, "Is anyone after us?"

"We are safe, for now." Holli said, "I did some scouting. I saw no sign of pursuit. I don't think anyone saw us come down.

The ensign glanced at the transmitter.

"You've been unconscious for about four hours, my lord. I found this cave, and it should serve us well if we are not found before nightfall. I was able to salvage a few things from the shuttle wreck. I got the ship's portable transmitter working again, at least I think I have, help should find us soon enough, provided anyone is out looking."

Avaryss nodded.

Good, she thought.

If a rescue party did not find them before nightfall they were at least out of the cold. She thought she recognized some heating coils that had been a part of the shuttle's cargo sitting off in one corner, they would not warm things up enough to melt the ice, but they would keep the air warm enough that both Sith and, whatever it was Holli was, would survive.

All she could do now was wait; wait and listen.

"Then speak," she commanded.

"It seems that we have time."

Holli nodded, and sank down in the snow across from Avaryss.

She began her tale.

At the very least it would help pass the time.

Rescue would come, Avaryss was sure of it.

Her destiny would not end here.

She had too much left to do, and Empire to conquer, but first she had to survive…

..And survive she would.

IOI

Holli sighed and ran her fingers through her curly red hair. A grease spot had appeared on her cheek, as she sat there, it migrated up to her forehead.

Interesting, Avaryss thought.

What was that? Something like a nervous twitch she supposed? All the little things she had observed on Fury started to make sense.

Holli had been hiding a very big secret, hiding it right under not only Avaryss, but the empire as a whole.

The young Sith could not help but be a little impressed.

Holli took a deep breath and finally met her master's eyes. Avaryss could sense her fear, but also a sense of determination; that and a desire to not to show fear.

"You asked me my species; to be honest I really don't know. My parents found me alive on a derelict ship when I was very young, two or three…I think."

Holli pursed her lips.

"They did not know what I was either, they had never seen a ship like it, or so my father claimed. In the end…they just called me a changeling."

Avaryss nodded.

It was an appropriate name she supposed.

Growing up on Oridanna, several of her bedtime stories had involved encounters with changeling. They were often portrayed as liars and manipulators. Not as bad as the Jedi, but still…untrustworthy, and a threat if ever encountered.

Those childhood fears tried to rise up, only to be squashed by Avaryss' will.

She was not a little girl anymore, and besides. Holli had saved her life.

If saving a life does not buy you a bit of leeway, she did not know what would.

"So you were a foundling?"

"I suppose," Holli admitted.

"When you say your parents, I take it you mean the travelling mechanics, not your birth parents?"

"They are my parents," she said with a sniff, "They protected me. They raised me. I don't really remember anything before, before they found me on that ship. As I said, I was very young."

Holli looked down at her hands, as Avaryss watched, her hand shot out like the tongue of a frog dog, it moved so fast it had almost been a blur. The next time Avaryss looked the girl was holding a spanner, wiping at the grease on it.

Again, Avaryss could not help but be impressed.

Imagine what she could do if that had been a blade in her hand, the dark voice within whispered, with that kind of speed, Holli could open up a man's throat before he even realized what had happened.

It was a most impressive display.

"I asked my parents about the ship they found me on," Holli murmured, "Wondering if it might give me any clue to where I came from, they had no answers. All that they would tell me was that they boarded that ship with my little sister in tow; she was about three at the time. The ship had been floating on the edge of a nebula, it probably scrambled their sensors. It is probably why they did not detect any life readings. Mother stayed with Inge while Dad searched the ship. Mom was only partially watching her I think, she told me she was trying to slice the ships main computer at the time, and with the door sealed, there was no way that my sister could wander off . When she did finally look over at my sister, she realized that she wasn't alone. An identical little girl was playing with her.

Holli smiled.

"That little girl was me."

"Your Mom did not freak out, seeing something that looked identical to her child?"

"My parents have seen a lot of strange things during their travels. I guess I was the strangest. Mom called us both over, offering us sweets. That is one of my earliest memories, that and when dad came back."

The engineer laughed.

"He was surprised, to say the least."

Avaryss frowned, still not sure what to make of the story.

"And they took you in, just like that?"

"I think they recognized that I was a child, and took pity on me. The ship they found me on with in a bad way, the reactor only a few hours away from melting down. I would have died had they not taken me in. They named me Lujayne and I've considered myself their daughter ever since."

"Did they ever try to figure out what you were?"

"A few times, in the beginning I think, not that they had much to go on. The ship I was on exploded and I was too young to answer many questions. They might have tried testing my blood once, but that did no good either. When I'm in human form, my DNA reads as human, and I spent so much time as one it has become my default shape. When I lose concentration, it is too this form that I return, I'm not really sure what I was before this."

"I see," Avaryss said.

Holli shrugged.

"As I grew older, I learned to control my abilities. I stayed hidden and watched the various aliens that my father interacted with. Twi'leks, Dugs, Rodians, I'm actually quite skilled at turning into a Rodian; I learned their language in about two weeks. Most people would not even recognize my accent when I'm in my Rodian form. "

"You learned an alien language in two weeks," Avaryss asked.

"I've always had a good memory," Holli admitted, "It served me well during basic training. I passed my engineering tests in the top percentile of my class. I was proud of that."

"As you should be," the young Sith said nodding slightly, "Never miss the opportunity to excel."

"I'm glad you agree, my lord."

"Does anyone else know what you are? Did you ever tell any of your instructors or superiors?"

"The only people that know what I am are my parents, and now you."

The engineer shook her head.

"I did not want my ability to change to hurt my career. It can be such a burden some times."

"Avaryss grinned.

"A burden," she said, "What a cold description for such a wonderful gift."

Holli blinked.

"Wonderful?"

Avaryss nodded.

"You could have told your superiors, you know. A changeling like yourself could have found many opportunities."

Holli gave her a cool look.

"You are aware of the Empire's policy on aliens, yes?"

"I am, but… an alien who can change her shape. That is a skill that could have helped you advance very quickly in the Empire."

"But not as an engineer, and that is what I wanted to be."

"We have many engineers," Avaryss reminded her, "You could have been…"

"A slave," Holli interrupted her, "Had I revealed what I was, I would have disappeared from boot camp, and been transferred to Imperial intelligence. If they did not kill me outright, they would have pumped me so full of drugs and potions that by the time they were done I would not have remembered my own name. They would have assigned me a number and started sending me out on espionage missions, maybe even to assassinate people."

Holli sighed.

"I believe in the Empire, my lord. I want to serve it, but I want to do it on my terms. My ability to shape shift is not my only talent. I'm a good engineer, a damn fine one, if I do say so myself."

She leaned back against the ice wall, her expression hard.

"If you no longer wish my services, I will put in for a transfer when we return to Dromund Kaas. Your secrets are safe with me. I've never betrayed a superior whether they be an officer or a Sith. I have no desire to start now.

Avaryss almost laughed.

She did not understand, poor girl.

What she knew of Avaryss' missions was minimal, certainly not enough to jeopardize anything. If she had become a threat, Avaryss would have just killed her; there would be no reason for a transfer.

Not that Avaryss would allow either, not now.

She had found herself a changeling, a real flesh and blood shape shifter.

She would be damned before she let her go.

An ambitious young Sith could think of many uses for a changeling. Holli did not realize it yet, but she had just been upgraded in Avaryss' eyes, not just because she saved her life, but because of all the future opportunities that now opened themselves up to her.

"Your secret is safe with me, ensign," she promised, "The Fury still needs its engineer, and I still need my HK repaired."

Holli gave her a hopeful look.

"So…you are not mad at me for not telling you about this?"

Avaryss snorted dismissively.

"You could have left me to die on that shuttle but you didn't. What kind of monster would I be for not acknowledging that? As for your other talents, I may have a use for them later. If you are willing?"

""I live to serve, my lord," Holli said saluting, "You let me keep doing what I love, and I will do my best to help you, both as your engineer, and as…well…the other thing as well."

Avaryss chuckled.

Good, she thought.

Very good.

The transmitter behind them beeped loudly, Holli rose from where she was sitting and checked the small screen on its surface.

"Someone has received our transmission," she said, "They are responding in an old merchants' code, my parents taught it to me."

"What does it say?" Avaryss asked.

"That they are coming, that we should expect them soon."

Really," Avaryss said, frowning slightly.

She tilted her head slightly, reaching out with the Force.

A shiver ran down her spine.

The young Sith sighed.

So much for being saved.

"Are you armed Holli?" she asked.

"I was able to salvage a blaster carbine from the wreck, and I have my sidearm, why?"

Avaryss gave her a predatory smile.

"The enemy has found us. I can feel it."

Holli frowned.

It looked like she was going to say something, but thought better of it.

As a member of the Imperial navy Holli knew better than to question a Sith.

"What are we going to do, my lord."

"The only thing we can do, ensign," she said drawing her lightsaber. It still needed to be fixed, but that shouldn't take too long.

She was going to need it.

"We are going to _**kill**_ them all," Avaryss informed her.

Every. Last. One.


	37. Rescue

**Chapter 37: Rescue**

"You know what to do if I fall, yes?"

Avaryss glanced over at her companion. Ensign Holli, once again in her Talz form nodded.

"I know," the changeling answered, her voice buzzing through the alien proboscis. Despite her alien appearance, Avaryss could still see concern her crewmate, she practically radiated it through the Force.

The Sith almost smiled.

It was…cute that Holli was concerned about her, but that did not change the fact that the plan they had agreed to needed to be carried out, it was for the good of the Empire after all.

Avaryss had no desire to see all she had worked for end because some thugs had gotten lucky and killed her. Holli's role in all this would ensure that her hunt for the conspiracy would not die with her.

If she did die, Holli would surrender immediately. She was to claim that she was a Talz enslaved by Avaryss and heap many blessings on the thugs for setting her free. Avaryss hoped that whoever was coming would accept this, and offer no further violence against her comrade.

From there, Holli was to wait for the right opportunity to contact Taya or the rest of her crew. Whatever happened, she was determined to see that those who killed her joined her in death. From there they were to report back to her master, hopefully he would not lose interest in the investigation. Hopefully he would see it through to the end.

Not that Avaryss intended for him to enjoy his victory for long. A while back she had arranged for Beric to discover the truth about what had happened to their family, provided that she was no longer around to tell him.

Even in death, she intended to make sure that Lord Feer eventually answered for what he had done. She would not be there to see it, but…

The knowledge of it alone kept her warm on a cold night, and on Hoth…it was very cold.

_You are not dead, yet_, the darkness whispered in her ear; _do not be so quick to give up on life._

She had not, but at the same time, only a fool did not prepare for the future.

She and Holli had done what they could to gird themselves for this fight.

Hopefully, it would be enough.

IOI

Holli had done what she could to give them an advantage. The first thing she had done was try to alter the transmitter signal, draw the attention of any Sith forces currently active on Hoth. She had been at it for about ten minutes when she finally stepped back cursing.

"No luck, my lord," she growled, "it doesn't have enough power or range, and even if it did, we are probably well within a jamming field right now."

Holli shook her head.

"We're on our own."

Avaryss nodded, but at the same time did not give up. There was more than one way to get a message out, especially when one was Force sensitive. She reached out into the darkness, reaching out with both her mind and her heart. She had hoped to contact Taya, given their past and the…intimacy they had shared, it should have been easy to call out to her friend, to call for help.

Once again, she was thwarted.

Something was…wrong on Hoth. The deeper that Avaryss went into the Force, the more and more she felt it. It was…was…well…she was not exactly sure what it was.

It felt like someone ha lit a light in the void that was the darkside. It felt like there was some well spring of light side energy that was limiting her connection to the dark.

She had never sensed anything like it.

This planet was a graveyard, the site of a great battle from the last war. It should have been steeped in the dark side, her powers should have been enhanced her, yet, they were being limited by…something.

She had no answer. She could not even speculate what was causing it, and sadly, she did not have the time.

The enemy was coming; she could sense it, a drawing sense of menace.

They needed to be ready. She and Holli both needed to be.

As they had prepared, Avaryss had found herself looking at her ally with new eyes. What she had learned had changed the way she saw the engineer.

As Holli had readied herself for battle, doing her best to weaponize what she had salvaged. Avaryss used the Force to make the necessary repairs to her lightsaber. The weapons components floated before her as she used telekinesis to check her weapon for any damage. She had done this many times before.

By now, she could assemble and disassemble the lightsaber with her eyes closed, using nothing but the Force.

It had been her master's will, and she had excelled at this exercise.

"This weapon is your life, apprentice," Darth Feer had told her once, "It is not enough to simply know how to use it, you need to know its functions as intimately as you know your connection to the Force.

To that end, in the first two months of her training, he had had her take the weapon apart and put it back together again, and again and again. First using her hands, and then using the Force. One of her last tests had seen her bound and tied to a chair. She had had only ten minutes to reassemble her weapon and free herself before her master set three wild tukata on her.

She had passed that little test, and now she stood prepared to face this latest one.

The lightsaber and her Force powers were not only weapon here however.

She also had Holli, and she wished to know exactly what that meant. She questioned her engineer, trying to grasp exactly what it was she had to work with.

"I don't suppose you could turn into a giant beast and scare our enemies off?" she asked the changeling.

Holli chuckled.

"That would be nice," she replied dryly, "Sadly, I can't do it; my abilities are limited to forms close to my own size."

The engineer sighed.

"I can make myself slightly larger or smaller, but that is not the easiest of trick, it is often like flexing a muscle, I can't keep it up for long."

Holli glanced at her.

"What about you, my lord?"

"Me?"

Holli nodded.

"I've seen you do some amazing things. Isn't there some spell that you could cast? Couldn't you win this fight before it even starts?"

It was a good question, Avaryss thought, unfortunately, it was not that easy.

"I know many spells," she confessed, "Many rituals, but they take time to prepare, and that is a luxury we don't have."

The Sith shook her head.

"Besides, anything I cast could be just as lethal to us as it could be to our enemies. No, Holli, I'm afraid we are going to have to handle this ourselves."

"So be it," the engineer said picking up a piece of ship's plating she had salvaged.

The plating used on the shuttle was pretty sturdy, capable of easily absorbing a shot from a blaster or carbine. Avaryss had used the Force to bend the plating into a more useful shape.

Holli, now in her Talz form, was now wearing that plating, the two of them had managed to fashion a crude breast plate, greaves, and helmet from the salvage. The Talz may not have been the most blaster resistant creatures in the galaxy, but Holli and Avaryss had done their best to change that.

Now armed with both her sidearm and carbine, Holli looked like an alien fighter ready to make war.

She had also managed to find some detonators that survived the crash. It would have been better if they had had some explosives to use with them, but the triggering charge still made a pretty good bang, or so Holli claimed. The engineer managed to rig them to some metal struts she had salvaged; she now had nine very nasty throwing spears with explosive tips. The arms of a Talz were quite strong, and throwing such weapons might just give them the edge they needed.

It was likely they would need every edge they could find. She felt their enemies' arrival before she heard them, saw the snow blowing in the distance.

Avaryss smiled.

This is when the fun begins, she thought.

Let them come.

We are ready!

IOI

Their attackers arrived on two large land crawlers. The ungainly vehicles rumbled over the snowy surface, their wide tank treads chewing up the snowy terrain. The first looked to be a troop transport; she could sense many different minds, all radiating a sense of cruel eagerness.

They thought this fight already won.

They would realize how wrong they were.

The second transport was likely what had brought down their shuttle. Where the other had an armored canopy protecting the passengers, this transports back end was a plain flat bed. Mounted in the center of it was a large rocket battery, likely salvaged from one of the wrecks that had fallen on this world. It was both a different color and design than the crawler that it was mounted on.

_At least we will not have to hunt this scum down_, Avaryss thought.

_They don't realize it, but they have delivered themselves into my hands._

The thought made her smile.

These creatures had come here to die.

She sensed no fear as the crawlers ground to a halt. Thirty armed thugs began to leap from their vehicles, armed with a mix of blasters, slug throwers, and edged weapons.

Avaryss' hand dipped to her hip, to her repaired lightsaber.

She was actually looking forward to a little blade upon blade action.

From the rocket launching crawler a voice rang out over a loud speaker.

"YOU! YOU BY THE CAVE! LOWER YOUR WEAPONS, WE HAVE YOU SURROUNDED!"

Avaryss watched as the outlaws spread out. They stayed just far enough back that they were out of range, that Avaryss could not simply leap into the middle of them and start carving them up.

A pity, she thought, but not unexpected.

Clearly these creatures knew their business, it would not save them, but it would make such matters interesting.

"I am Avaryss of the Sith," she shouted, using the Force to make her voice carry, "And I am your death."

She smiled wickedly.

"Make your peace with the Force."

She sensed a mix of nervousness and amusement from the outlaws. They knew enough of the Sith to be wary, but they still felt that the odds were in their favor, and they were…mostly.

It must have concerned the one on the loudspeaker, because his next words were not addressed to her.

"YOU…TALZ! YOU NO LONGER HAVE TO TAKE THIS WOMAN'S ORDERS! SHE IS DEAD IF YOU LOWER YOUR ARMS YOU WLL NOT BE HARMED!"

Avaryss almost laughed. She had hoped that the thugs would make that offer.

Holli made a show of lowering her blaster.

"YOU STAY WHERE YOU ARE ANIMAL!" Avaryss spat, "TRY TO RUN AND I SHALL CUT YOU DOWN!"

Holli raised her weapon again, no doubt convincing their attackers that she had been cowed.

Good, Avaryss thought, it will help sell Holli's story if I fall.

She tried to guess what was going through the criminals' minds at that moment. They were certainly facing down an odd pair. Avaryss all in black with her thermal suit and black hooded cloak cut an intimidating figure. Holli in jury rigged battle armor, her grey fur slowly turning white from the blowing snow.

Avaryss drew her lightsaber from her belt, but she did not ignite it, not yet.

It was a standoff; she did not intend to be the one that blinked first.

The thugs continued to spread out, trying to surround her. Holli had set a few surprises for them if they tried to go in back of the cave, she was actually looking forward to seeing them try…she…

"LAST CHANCE, SITH!" the man on the loudspeaker cried out, "SUBMIT OR…"

_**KAAH! BOOM!**_

The rocket carrier vanished in a ball of white hot flame! The flash was so bright that Avaryss' chemically damaged eyes were momentarily blinded. A series of smaller explosions followed as the rockets within the launcher decided to explode as well.

_**BA-BOOM! BA-BOOM! BA-BOOM!**_

The explosion had thrown her enemies into disarray, the ones closest to the carrier had been knocked down, the ones farthest away opened fire on the Sith and her ally.

It did not save them.

The carrier explosion was just what Avaryss had needed.

She lit her blade and leapt.

She was among the outlaws before they could retreat.

The slaughter began.

Cries of anger and disbelief rose up only to be cut off as Avaryss' blade found head and limb. She used the Force to pull the pin from grenades on the outlaws' belts, and pushed them into their fellows when they detonated. She sent blasts of Force lightning, at those foolish enough to try to fall back and surround her anew.

She distantly heard the sound of a blaster carbine. Ensign Holli covering her. To her right she saw a walrus-faced thug take one of Holli's special spears in the chest. Avaryss flung him back with the Force and he exploded next to two of his comrades.

She laughed as the darkness rose and swirled around her. So much death, she drank it in. It was a heady sensation, the dark side swirled like a hurricane, and she reveled in each death.

As she fell upon another group of thugs she noticed a blur behind them. A shadowy shape that was much more than it appeared.

Avaryss smiled.

They were not alone.

It seemed that someone else had heard their distress call.

Too bad for the outlaws.

The troop transport rumbled to life, its treads churning up the snow as it reversed. All around the vehicle surviving thugs fled, trying to reach it before it left them behind.

Avaryss was not in the mood to let that happen.

They are mine, she thought.

I shall kill them all!

She spotted one of the stragglers, skinny human with a cyborg eye. She raised her hand and sent a jolt of Force lightning crackling towards him.

It never reached its target.

A lightsaber found its way into the lightning's path, absorbing the energy.

"They are retreating Sith," one of her rescuers shouted.

"That's enough!"

Avaryss snarled.

It was not **nearly** enough!

She saw another thug, this one a Twilek. She flung her lightsaber at it, and again her attack was blocked, another lightsaber flashed out, thrown with equal skill, it turned it blade away, sending flipping end over end towards a snow drift.

"It's over Sith! I said ENOUGH!"

Avaryss reached out with the Force and pulled her weapon to her.

She caught the blade and turned with a snarl on her lips.

How dare this one stand between a Sith and her prey!

At last her rescuer had stopped moving, he stood before her, his blade lit and humming, the violet light of it casting dark shadows on his face. Even clad in a parka and thermal suit, Avaryss recognized him immediately.

I should have known, she thought.

She had not felt his approach, just as she had not felt it on the wreck.

She smiled evilly.

"Jas Dar Bynn," she said bowing slightly, "What a pleasant surprise."

The Jedi master smiled as returned her greeting, the slightest of nods.

"Hello again, Sith," he said dryly, "We need to stop meeting like this. Tongues will start to wag."

Avaryss' smile turned sly. The memory of their last encounter, and her master's punishment for it, was still fresh in her mind.

That was all the Jedi's fault, she remembered.

Now, at last, she had a chance to pay him back for it.

The fight had stirred her blood, she was eager to spill more. Plus, given their first meeting, she was more than eager to make the Jedi Master her next victim.

The sound of crunching foot steps behind her momentarily distracted her. She nearly brought her blade out and around, but stopped when she realized who it was.

Holli, still in her Talz guise stopped just short of her mistress and saluted.

They are retreating, my lord," she buzzed pleasantly.

"The day is ours."

Not yet, Avaryss thought, not yet.

Jas Dar Bynn still draws breath.

She did not care that he came to her aid. She did not care that he had likely saved her. He was a Jedi, an unpredictable and dangerous Jedi.

The Empire would be better off with him gone.

She started to advance, her sword still in hand, eager to see the matter done.

Master Jas stopped her with a smile, that and a glance over his shoulder.

"Are you alright, my young Padawan?"

Avaryss paused; she had not realized that another Jedi was there. She…

"I'm fine master," the young man called back, "Few scrapes and burns, but that is it, I'm…"

He paused mid-sentence as Avaryss turned.

In that moment her entire world changed.

He…

She…

They…

Oh my!

They had never met, the Padawan and her, not in the flesh, but she knew him, had she been left blind and deaf she would have known who he was, the Force sang to her, a song as familiar as a lullaby sung to a child over and over again.

He was…taller than she remembered. Like his master, he was clad in cold winter gear, the thick grey parka doing little to hide his broad shoulders. His goggles were pushed back up onto his forehead, giving her a clear view of his face.

The two of them stared at each other, the Force curling between them, entwining like a pair of mating snakes.

It was light and darkness mixing together…two parts of a single whole.

They were a whole that had finally been restored, their close proximity awakening their old connection.

If Master Jas recognized it, he did not show it.

He smiled slightly.

"Padawan," he said, "Allow me to introduce you to Avaryss of the Sith, she was the one that I encountered searching for Shyra Viel on the Wreck."

The boy nodded, as tongue tied as Avaryss, perhaps not truly believing what he was sensing.

She understood; she could not quite believe it either.

"Lord Avaryss," Master Jas said, "Allow me to introduce my Padawan learner, Fenn Shadowstone."

Avaryss blinked.

Fenn, she thought.

He…he was here.

Her dream friend, she had found him, or rather, he had found her.

At last, she thought.

You are here, she thought.

There was so much she wanted to say, but her voice had left her.

He was here.

She had never felt so strange…so...drawn.

You are here.

She smiled.

You found me.

**A/N: More between Avaryss and Fenn next chapter. Before we go I have a question for you dear readers. I've been thinking of doing a fan fic with both marvel and dc characters together, in a world where some villains have become heroes, and vice versa. Would anyone like to hear that story, if so, let me know in a review, until next time dear readers.**

**DG**


	38. Reunion

**Chapter 38: Reunion**

_This was __**NOT**__ how it was supposed to be._

Standing out in the snow, watching the sun set below the distant mountains of ice, Avaryss wrestled with this one over reaching thought. She had gone through much to get to this point, to becoming both the Sith and the person she was meant to be, to walk the path to fulfilling her destiny, but in this one single moment…she felt…cheated.

It should not have happened this way, she thought, her hands curling into angry fists.

This was not how it was supposed to be.

All her life, the girl who would become Avaryss had wondered what would happen should she and he dream friend ever meet. She had imagined dozens if not hundreds of different scenarios. As she had grown older, many of those had involved kissing and talking of long denied feelings.

Avaryss sneered.

How limited she had been, how weak that girl had been.

Her dream friend was finally here, Fenn Shadowstone was here. Yet, in that one defining moment, words had failed her; she had stood there and said nothing! She had felt their connection, surely he had as well, but he had said…nothing…nothing!

Did he not recognize her; she had changed much in the last few years? No, that was impossible, she had felt his presence so strongly, surely he had sensed hers as well; he had to know who she was. He had to.

Did he disapprove of her choices? Did he blame her for choosing to walk the dark path?

She snarled at the mere thought.

If he thought less of her for that, then that was just too bad! The darkness was power, power and the chance to have everything she had ever wanted! She would be damned before she gave up on that now, certainly not for the approval of some Jedi…Padawan!

But he is not just a Padawan, a small voice within her said, he is your dream friend, he is Fenn.

And your choices may have doomed any chance of being together.

"What do I care," she murmured, "I don't need him anymore! I have Fehl, and once I've restored him to life I will have true power, that and the love of a powerful equal. We shall reshape the Empire together.

I don't need some Jedi fool! I'm Sith!

I don't need him.

An alarm sounded overhead, alerting her that she needed to come inside. The settlement shut its gates before dark, the night time temperature of Hoth falling well beyond the levels that most creatures could survive.

Much like Fury 9, she thought, the blasted world had been where she first learned who she truly was, where she took her first steps on the dark path.

It was a path that one did not turn away from lightly, especially when it offered such rewards at its end.

She thought of the Sith throne, she thought becoming greater than anything she could have dreamed.

Was that not worth tossing away a childish fantasy?

Wasn't it?

She turned and walked inside, paying little or no attention to the beings around her. The Force was strong in none of them, which meant they were beneath her. They were nothing. Yet, still she found herself among them, forced to rely on their shelter at that moment.

She shook her head.

Irony.

IOI

After their fight with the outlaws, Avaryss and Holli found themselves in a snow crawler in the company of Jas Dar Bynn and his Padawan. They could have stayed behind of course, waited for a Sith rescue team, but Avaryss felt that unwise. Who knew if the ones that attacked them had any allies around here? Plus there was no guarantee that they could reach Taya and their other comrades before the outlaws returned with reinforcements.

The choice had been an easy one. It was irksome, but easy.

She had decided to accept the Jedi aid.

The Padawan drove the crawler while the master sat in the back with Avaryss and Holli. The changeling decided to remain in her Talz form, not wishing to reveal what she was to anyone she did not know.

A wise choice, Avaryss thought, changelings had a bit of bad reputation in the galaxy, even a Jedi might take steps to eliminate one, and besides…

Holli's abilities remained at her and Avaryss' secret; she would not let an enemy know that she possessed such an ally for no good reason. Holli's powers might come in handy one day.

There was no point in revealing such an edge to an enemy, or rather someone who would one day be an enemy.

At first she thought that they may have been taken captive, that Master Jas would take them back to some Republic outpost. He chose not to do that, instead she found herself taken to a small independent salvager camp. According to Master Jas these people took no sides in the issues between Empire and Republic.

They also had hyper-comm access, which meant that Avaryss would be able to contact her fellows.

She had given him a surprised look when he informed them of their destination.

"We are still under treaty are we not?" he said with a shrug, "Seizing you and your companion might be considered a violation of that treaty."

He gave her a wry grin.

"And we wouldn't want that would we?"

She smirked.

"Apparently not," she answered, "Though I do find myself curious, Jedi. What brought you to Hoth in the first place?"

"You actually," he answered, "Or rather the story you told me back on the Wreck."

"The conspiracy?" she nodded, "You are investigating on your end?"

The Jedi nodded.

"After our last meeting, I spoke with the Jedi council. I told them what you had said. What you had encountered in travels."

She gave him an arched look.

"They _believed_ you? I find that…surprising."

"Actually, they were skeptical. The bulk of the council thinks that this is some kind of Sith deception. That you were simply trying to stir up dissention among us."

"With good reason," she acknowledged, "I will not deny that any problem for your order is a blessing for mine, but this time, I was telling the truth.

"The conspiracy is real."

"I tend to agree with you," He replied, "I sensed no deception when you told me, and in the time since that meeting, I've seen some things, things that have made me more and more certain that you were telling the truth. I've shown that evidence to the council members that did not reject the possibility outright. They've given me enough leeway to continue to look into the matter."

Have you had any resistance," she asked. "Has anyone tried to oppose your search?"

"Not in the way you might think. I've been contacted by several members of the order, members that have heard about what I'm doing, they have suggested that I let the matter be. After all, would the Sith Empire fragmenting truly be that bad of a thing?"

Avaryss laughed.

"They spoke to you," she chuckled, shaking her head, "Had the Sith been running this conspiracy they would not have been so…restrained. You likely would have been eliminated for asking such questions."

"Don't believe that Republic intelligence is above that," Master Jas told her, "Of course, if I were to die under mysterious circumstances, it will give credence to what I've been saying that the conspiracy is real."

"I see," Avaryss said thoughtfully, "So have they responded?"

"In a fashion," the Jedi said, "I've been forced to become more secretive with my movements. On no less than three worlds that I've investigated I've found evidence that the site I've sought to examine has been cleaned out, completely sanitized, no evidence left behind."

"It sounds like someone is trying to make you look the fool, to discredit you."

The Jedi laughed at that.

"That would not be hard, given my history," he said, "Many in the order see me as too unpredictable, a rogue unwilling to toe the line."

Avaryss could see that, yes, and was also aware of how dangerous that made Jas Dar Bynn.

She frowned slightly.

From both what she had heard, and what she felt, Jas Dar Bynn was not the type of Jedi to play at politics. He seemed to be following the will of the Force first and foremost. Such clarity could be dangerous in an enemy.

Such a man would not shy away from doing something because it was politically inconvenient. He was following his heart and the Force.

If the other Jedi she had encountered had been like that, she would have been in serious trouble.

His fellows might consider Master Jas a grey Jedi, but if anything he was the farthest thing from. The light shone through him like a beacon.

Such commitment might have been a problem for his order, but it also brought great power. That kind of connection to the Force was what most Sith only dreamed of, politics and power games always got in the way.

What would happen if a Sith chose to walk a similar path? What if they put the dark side first and foremost, and said to the void with politics. Such a Sith would be extremely dangerous.

A Sith of singular vision would not play at politics. A Sith of such vision would no doubt conclude that the dark side should belong to them and them alone. Such a Sith would welcome a culling of the order, perhaps ending things with only a single dark lord remaining, and all powerful lord, all powerful, but alone. The Empire would not stand for that. It would likely take an alliance of Sith to eliminate such a foe.

For a Sith…walking such a path would be a road to ruin, such a journey would lead to great power, but ultimately destruction. Numbers would win out in the end.

It was unfortunate, but that was the way it was.

She looked at Jas Dar Bynn with new eyes.

To her shock and dismay, she had actually come to…_respect_ the Jedi, and found herself a bit envious of his clarity.

"So you have tried to mask your movements," she said, "Tried to catch the conspirators off-guard, and arrive before they had a chance to remove all the evidence."

"That is right."

"What brought you to Hoth?"

"I figured the salvage here might be valuable if trying to convince a Sith that a rival lord was after them."

"My master and I had similar thoughts," she confessed. "I came here to have a word with the leadership of one of the smuggler groups here."

"Trying to smoke out the middleman?"

"And find out who is behind all this."

Avaryss gave him a sly smile.

"You would not happen to have any idea who might be in charge…do you?"

She sensed something that surprised her then, a slight shift in the Force, focused on Master Jas.

"Not a clue," he shrugged, but at the same time, he had spoken too quickly.

Avaryss smiled.

"You already know, don't you?"

She snorted.

"Now who is lying?"

If the Jedi took offense he did not show it.

He shrugged.

"I have…suspicions. I would not point fingers without proof."

"Are you going to tell me?" she asked.

He gave her a sly smile.

"Would you tell _me _if **you** knew? If you suspected someone would you share that knowledge?"

_No, she would not,_ she realized_. Still….this was not about her was it?_

"This person threatens the peace," she reminded him, "Surely stopping them should be your first priority."

"If it is who I think it is, they will be stopped, Sith. You have my word."

"You will forgive me for not wishing to take such a chance. The Empire is my home. I will not see it threatened."

Holli, who had kept her silence up to this point, glanced over at her lord and mistress. Jas Dar Bynn seemed calm, but through the Force Avaryss could feel him preparing, if this did come to a fight…

"Master," Fenn had called out, "Is everything alright back there?"

Hearing Fenn's voice stopped Avaryss in her tracks. She sensed confusion from him; he likely had not heard what had passed between them over the noise of snow crawler's engine.

"The tension had become thick between Jedi master and Sith apprentice. They were on a collision course; neither seemed willing to give an inch.

Surprisingly, it was Avaryss who decided to yield first.

"Keep your secrets Jedi," she said dismissively, "but know that if you do not end this mess, I certainly will. If I reach the mastermind behind all this first, know that I will offer no mercy. They will face the full brunt of my wrath."

"Sounds fair," he said nodding, "In the end, keeping the peace is what is important. If war does break out anew, it will not be because of some rogue elements in the Republic."

In that moment, Avaryss decided to stand down.

War would come, and with it a Sith victory! She was prepared to wait until the Empire was ready. When the conspiracy was crushed, and the Emperor decided it was time to take the battle to the Republic once again.

_We will fight, but only when the Empire has the advantage. We shall let the Jedi keep the peace, for now…_

…_but __**only**__, for now._

They fell silent for a time. Both Jedi and Sith had learned something, both about their missions and each other.

Yet, that is not what Avaryss desired most, her eyes kept drifting to the cab of the snow crawler, to Fenn.

"He heard your call for help," Master Jas informed her, "He did not know who he was coming to save, but he heard you."

Avaryss frowned.

She was not surprised, but now she had a problem.

What was she going to do about this…about him, about Fenn?

What was she going to do?

IOI

She barely looked up as the door slammed shut behind her. The settlement itself had been built into the belly of a destroyed Sith dreadnaught. The technology that had kept the broken ship in space had been stripped out years ago, with the mountain it had crashed down into being hollowed out more so that the people here could live expand their operations.

It was just an empty shell now, protection against the snow and the cold, nothing more.

It was a sight that did not please Avaryss, seeing something that had once been part of her people's military converted into a nest for outlaws and criminals.

She had already contacted House Dresco's operations on Hoth; they would be sending a shuttle for her in the morning, to bring her back. Taya had been ecstatic when she received the call. She had sensed that her old friend was not dead, but had worried what would become of her out in the cold. She need not have worried; Avaryss was not ready to give up her destiny.

Tomorrow she would be back among her own people.

In the meantime, she needed to decide what she was going to do about Master Jas and his Padawan. Technically, they were still enemies of the Empire, and the Sith would benefit greatly in the Jedi Master's end.

Of course, that meant that she would likely have to slay Fenn too.

She was not pleased with that idea; it did not please her at all.

She made her way to the lodgings that the Jedi had helped her acquire for the night. He and Fenn weren't staying of course, that would have made it too easy.

Holli was likely already back, before Avaryss had left, the ensign had said she wanted to speak with the junk dealers here, see if she could find any parts for the HK. She likely would be back by now, and…

She felt a shift in the Force, a sensation that she had felt many times before, though she had not understood what it meant back then, but it had never so strong, never so acute.

She smiled slightly.

"Am I dreaming this," she heard a familiar voice call out to her, "Or are you?"

"I don't know. Does it really matter," she answered, it was those very same words that had defined their relationship so long ago.

Now…they had come up again.

Avaryss turned finally meeting his eyes. Fenn was still dressed in his winter gear. It was never really warm in this place to remove them, Avaryss realized.

Then why am I sweating? She wondered. She could feel a single bead of sweat running down her back. She refused to acknowledge it as nerves, but…

…it was there none the less.

Jedi and Sith faced each other, far from the boy and girl they had been only a few short years ago. Time and the Force had changed them both.

She found herself wondering just how much of their former selves remained.

"And so," she said gesturing to the world around them.

"Here we are."

His hazel eyes met her red burning ones. His hair remained blonde and spiky, and despite the heavy winter clothes she could make out the braid in his hair.

A Padawan's marking, she knew now. Quenya had had one too; she had cut it off after that business in the enclave.

They stood fairly close, but at the same time, she could sense the distance between them. It was a distance that had little to do with space, but with choices. When she looked upon him through the Force, she could see the light shining brightly within him. There was darkness there too, but not near enough to effect his place in the light.

Turning her gaze inward, she was surprised by what she observed. Now that they were here, together, she could feel the tether that bound them. The Force seemed…different when they stood in such close proximity.

His light did not push back the darkness inside her, but at the same time, her darkness did not eclipse the light burning within him. Instead the Force formed a sort of balance, the space between them shone like polished silver, the dark and light blending into one another, neither willing to give in an inch.

Interesting she thought.

If only things had been different. If only the choices she had needed to make had not been necessary.

She did not regret the ones she had made. They had led her here.

It was enough.

She could sense the tension in the air, neither seemed to want to cut through it. It was not fear, but a sense of nervousness. It had been so long since they had seen each other, there had been a time that they would not have thought themselves strangers, but that is what they had become.

Too much had passed, too much blood and pain, at least, she feared that was the case.

Unwilling to face the stalemate any longer, she decided to force the issue.

She spoke first.

So your name is Fenn," she said lamely.

"It is a pleasure to truly know it at last."

He chuckled nervously.

"And you are Avaryss," he said, "Not your real name I suppose."

"It is my real name;" she said haughtily, "The name that I was born with no longer had any meaning for me, so it was cast aside, much like my old life."

She smiled slightly; she could feel his confusion, but also the burning need to know, both about her, and what had happened in the last few years.

"Am I really so different to you?" she asked.

It took him a moment to answer, she feared that he would not, it seemed like an eternity, but was in truth only a few breaths.

"Do you think that you are not?"

She shrugged.

"I am what the galaxy and the Force has made me. I make no excuses for that."

He shook his head.

"It is you," he said, "I can sense it, but so much about you has changed. It is not just the effects of the dark side either. You even sound different."

That made her laugh.

"I needed to become someone more…_refined_ when I took my first steps into my master's service. It would not serve to sound like some bumpkin from a farm world on Dromund Kaas."

She had worked hard to lose her accent, to embrace the haughty tones familiar to those living on the Sith throne world. In truth she did it now without even thinking about it. It was simply the way she talked.

Now though faced with her childhood friend, something brought it back.

"Does it please you to hear my voice like this," she said, dropping her Dromund accent. It sounded strange to her. She had not used Keera's voice in such a long time.

"It is nice to hear," he agreed, "I just wished what I felt through the Force could be so easily changed."

Her crimson eyes narrowed, they flashed with anger.

"You have no right to judge me," she spat. "I did what I needed to survive."

"I **looked **for you," he confessed, "I've spent so much time in the last few years reaching out, trying to touch your mind, trying to make sure you were alright. I tried to find my way back to the safety of the dream we shared, but you were never there."

Avaryss shrugged.

"It is hard to dream, when all you have is nightmares."

The admission shocked her; it had come out before she had a chance to stop it. The bitterness in her own voice was…unexpected.

She had never lamented what she had become before. It was the path the Force had set before her, it was her destiny.

Until now, she had never had a reason to question it.

"The last time we spoke, you were in danger. I felt it," he said, "What happened that night? Why did you decide to become…this?"

"_This_," she hissed at him. He made it seem like it was something wrong. How little he truly understood. "This is what power looks like, Fenn. This is what I had to do to escape a fate beyond my control. My family died in front of me. I would have died too. I would have died if the darkness had not come to me, **saved** me."

Her heart pounded in her ears, her passions fired by the memory, and her old friend's condemnation.

_What did he know?_

_He had not lived her life?_

"This was the only way to survive. If I was to see the man who killed my family punished, this was the way. I make no apologies for that."

Her hands curled into angry fists.

"You have no right to judge me."

She expected anger. She expected him to lash out at her, at the Sith who had destroyed the girl who had been his secret friend for so long. It is what she would have done. It is what another Sith would have done.

He sighed.

"I know what that is like," he said, "Making choices you should never have had to…"

He shook his head.

"I know very well what that is like."

"How," she spat, "You Jedi reject emotion! How could you possibly know, or understand, what I faced?"

"I was there when the temple burned," he said, his voice going cold and harsh, "I was there when those mon…when…when your people sacked the Jedi Temple. I was only ten, and I watched as creatures in black robes with red blades butchered my friends and teachers."

He shuddered, through the Force she could feel the anger that memory brought, the fury.

The darkness within her reached out for it only to be pushed back by the light inside Fenn Shadowstone.

He took a deep breath and blew it out, the anger and rage went with it. When he met her gaze again, he was calm.

A few of us younglings escaped. We fled into the tunnels beneath the temple. As the world burned above us we fled into the darkness of the lower levels, and in that place the darkness found us. We were set upon by the denizens of that place, some on two legs, and some on many. We did things we were not proud of, things we promised each other we would never repeat to our masters, fearing what they might say. For three weeks we wondered down there, lost and alone. It was only our connection to the Force and to each other that allowed us to survive.

Fenn smiled bitterly.

"We often talked about what was likely going on above us. We were so sure that the order would prevail, that we would stop the invaders and drive them off. When we finally emerged, when we finally made our way back to the rest of the order, we found out about the treaty. We found out about the Republic's decision to deal rather than fight on."

He shook his head.

"I don't know about the others, but I felt betrayed. After all that we had endured, how could the masters just give up like that? How could the Republic give up? No one else seemed to understand that, the surviving knights and masters called us heroes, they called us the Padawan pack, even though most of us had not been chosen by a master yet."

He laughed again, a bitter sound.

"The greatest of the masters wanted to claim us as their own. They thought our experience made us perfect candidates to be future leaders in the order. Of the five of us that survived two of us left the order rather than endure what we all had come to see as hypocrisy. Of those of us that stayed I lost track of one, and the other cut herself off to me. The last time we spoke it was like talking to droid, no feeling, nothing."

Avaryss listened intently. She had never realized that her friend had endured such a trial. He had never let her see this side of him before.

The glimpse of the darkness within him gave her hope.

Perhaps he is not totally lost to me, she thought, and immediately felt shame.

You have Fehl, have you forgotten him?

She winced, no she had not forgotten.

"Who is Fehl?" Fenn asked her.

She just resisted the urge to curse.

Damn him, she thought.

The emotions between them were too raw, too open.

He was picking up her thoughts.

She brought her mental shields up, seeking to keep him out.

"Someone I cared for," he said, not wishing to lie to him, they had never lied to each other before.

"Someone I lost."

"I see," he said, she felt a twinge of what might be jealousy, but it faded away quickly, much like his anger had.

His control surprised her.

"You said you looked at your fellow Jedi as hypocrites," she said, "What changed? What brought you back to the order?"

"Master Jas," he replied, "While the other masters ignored what we faced, thought we should deny what we were feeling, he made me face it. He made me acknowledge my anger, and work through it. He helped me move past it."

A waste, the darkness within Avaryss whispered, in that moment it sounded a bit like Lord Feer.

She resisted the urge to frown.

_Had you only just embraced those emotions_, she thought, _given in to your rage, you would have achieved a power beyond anything you could know._

_You could have been something glorious, my love._

She again fought the urge to blink.

_Her…love?_

_Where had __**that **__come from?! She had moved past her puppy love for this Jedi whelp._

_Hadn't she?_

He smiled at her, a hopeful expression on his face.

"You don't have to go back tomorrow. You don't have to return to your people."

She gave him a sly look.

What was this? Some attempt to turn her?

Foolish.

_That is not what this is_; Keera Lylos' voice rose up unbidden, perhaps given new strength by this meeting.

_He doesn't want to turn you; he wants to protect you, to save you._

_Is that truly so bad?_

Avaryss tried to ignore that question.

"I can't," she said flatly.

"Why not?" he asked, "You feel it to, don't you, the connection between us, it can't be some random coincidence."

"I have a responsibility to my master, and to my people. I cannot, and will not abandon them."

She gave him a sad smile.

"Allow me to make a counter proposal," she said, "You can come with me. When my mission is done we can vanish together, leave Republic and Empire to their fates. My master would welcome you. He would show you much about the true nature of the Force."

Fenn looked at her, his expression sad.

"You know why I can't do that."

"Then you understand why I can't accept your offer either."

She shook her head.

"It is too late for us."

"I don't know," he shrugged, "The Force is complicated, its ebb and flow can lead to many an unexpected place."

He stepped towards her, in that moment; it seemed that the entire galaxy had faded away, that it was just the two of them, caught in the shining silvery connection that was their link through the Force.

He stood close enough that she had to look up into his hazel eyes, just as he looked down into her burning red pools that were hers.

He smiled sadly.

He reached out and touched her face. She tenses at first, but then leaned in, feeling his touch, his true touch for the first time.

Yes, part of her murmured.

Oh yes.

She closed her eyes, savoring the sensation.

Will he try to kiss me, she wondered.

Please try to kiss me.

She opened her eyes, feeling the tug of their connection, a connection that was already starting to slip away.

He is leaving me, she knew.

He is leaving.

"I've heard it said that the dark side is seductive," he murmured, "but I never thought it could be beautiful."

She smiled then, not the sly grin of Avaryss, but Keera's gentle smile.

Beautiful?

A bit of pink colored her milk white cheeks.

He stepped away, and part of her almost wailed, almost called to him.

"I would wish you good luck Sith, but…"

She nodded.

"I understand," she answered. "I would say 'May the Force be with you,' but…"

He laughed.

"I understand.

He turned to leave, to walk back out into the galaxy and away from her side.

"Fenn?" she called out.

He stopped.

"Yes?"

She swallowed hard, her heart pounding. Her mouth was dry as a desert.

She gave him a shy smile.

"Keera," she said.

"My name…once it was Keera."

He nodded.

"Keera," he said as if testing how it sounded on his tongue.

"It is pretty."

He left her then, to go back to his master, back to his order, and his precious Republic.

A single tear ran down her cheek. She…she…

The dark side rose up, and with it came fury and rage. Fury at the moment of weakness she had allowed herself, and rage that she would forget her destiny even for a moment.

She was Sith!

She was Avaryss!

She was the future of the Empire.

She turned with an angry snarl. She still had a mission to complete, and a master to bring low.

That was who she was, that was what mattered.

It was the only thing.

"You fool," she hissed under her breath, as she returned to her lodgings.

"You damned weak fool."

Who she meant she could not say, was it Fenn who was the fool, or was it her?

She didn't know.

Did it really matter?


	39. Dark Distractions

**Chapter 39: Dark Distractions**

"How many shuttles did we lose?"

Avaryss paced in her new quarters like a caged animal. Taya lounged on her bunk grateful to not only have her friend back, but also to having a bit of time away from her lady mother.

Parents can be hard sometimes, Avaryss knew, she remembered her own father and how hard that she had tried to please him, be the daughter he wanted her to be. Though she mourned his death, she had come to see the freedom of being without such attachments weighing her down.

_The most dangerous people in the world were orphans_, she had heard that once, and agreed with it.

If one sought power, having no attachments could be useful. It was why she had kept her ties to Beric hidden from her peers. She still desired him in her life, but did not want her enemies, or allies, thinking they had found a weak spot, a crack in her armor.

Protecting what was hers was hard. She had no intention of giving anyone ammunition to use against her.

We lost three shuttles on the way down," Taya informed her, "The supplies and troops onboard were destroyed. Our shuttle took damage in that attack, we came down hard, but between mother and my connection to the Force we managed to escape with only a few bumps and bruises."

Taya gave her a curious look.

"How about you Avy, how did you make it down in one piece?"

Avaryss smiled at her friend.

She continued to keep Holli's secret. By the time that Beric and Taya arrived at the smuggler settlement to collect them, the ensign had returned to her human form, and asked only that her lord not tell the others about what had truly happened. Namely, that Holli had transformed herself into a great winged creature she had seen during her travels with her parents, a creature that had been strong enough to carry them both down safely. The form was strong, but only able to carry one other person. The Ensign had wisely chosen her.

Holli knew who was most likely to aid her on her journey up the ranks, Avaryss thought, and at same time, it was good that there had been no other survivors, Avaryss would have needed to silence them, to protect Holli's secret.

She wondered if Holli realized that, if so, then it was another point in the changeling's column. It showed both wisdom and drive to succeed. She would need that if she wished to advance.

Knowledge was power, and all that Holli asked of her was to keep what she truly was between them.

Avaryss agreed, she lost nothing by keeping the changeling's secret, and by doing so had another card to play in future situations.

She could think of many uses for a changeling, and now…she had one. She was most pleased.

Taya may have been her friend, perhaps her one **true** best friend, but it was not in Avaryss' best interest to reveal what she had learned about the young engineer.

Taya was Sith.

She would understand…when the time came.

She smiled at her companion.

"The dark side is strong in me, remember. Between its gifts and a bit of good fortune, Holli and I managed to survive."

"Glad to hear it," Her friend said smiling.

"I was afraid I lost you."

"Understandable, considering what happened," Avaryss said, choosing to not acknowledge the warmth in her friend's voice, she did not have time to play the lover's card right now.

She tried to keep Taya on task, focused on what had happened.

Someone needed to pay for this.

"Now is not the time to dwell on such things. It is much more important that we find a way to move forward, which includes punishing those, responsible for this…this…**outrage."**

Avaryss turned to her friend.

"Has your mother figured out who tipped off those outlaws to our arrival? They seemed to have targeted our entry vector perfectly. They were clearly both well organized, and well-armed, and when they came for Holli and me, they moved with military precision."

The young Sith frowned.

"They did not strike me as thieves looking for plunder."

"Mercenaries are common enough here," Taya said dismissively, "There are many veterans of the last war that turned to killing for profit after the treaties were signed. As for **who** was responsible, or rather who shared our arrival time, mother found out, one of our communications technicians was making a little money on the side, selling our shuttle routes to one of the gangs here."

Taya sighed.

"She has been questioning the man since late last night."

Avaryss smiled slyly.

"I would like to have a few words with this tech," she said, "Find out who paid him."

Taya winced.

"That is going to be problem," she said.

"Why?"

"As I said, mother has been working on him since late last night. I'm afraid words are a little beyond him now."

Her friend looked chagrinned.

"Kind of hard to talk when you have lost first your tongue, and then your jaw."

In spite of herself, Avaryss shuddered. Her dark imagination filling in what was likely left of the man.

_It was __**not **__a pretty sight._

"Mother likes her work," Taya said, "The fact that both of us almost died did not leave her in a merciful mood."

Avaryss remembered watching the lady briefly during her interrogation of the smuggler back on Dromund Kaas.

Lady Tazia did seem to know much about pain.

She almost felt sorry for the treacherous technician.

Almost.

"I trust she knows the value of restraint. We need answers."

"Mother will bring you what you need," Taya assured her, "You can trust me on that."

Avaryss nodded. So far their time on Hoth had not been a productive one. She had survived the attempt on her life, but…

She was no closer to finding how this all fit into the conspiracy, if it even did.

If the conspirators were behind this, it was clear that she had finally gotten their attention; this may even have been in respond to her destruction of their Jedi Enclave.

If it _**was**_ them, then we are getting closer, Avaryss thought with a hungry smile. Eventually, the leaders of this conspiracy will have to realize that I'm not going to stop, that they will have to take action personally.

When that happened, Avaryss would be ready.

In that moment, she would have them all.

"Mother will get what you need," Taya assured her, "For now, let us speak of other things, more interesting things."

Her friend smiled broadly.

"Tell me about this Jedi of yours?"

Avaryss rolled her eyes.

She should not have said anything, but, after everything that had happened; she needed to tell someone. Holli had not been there for their farewell, and even if she had, she would not understand.

Taya knew her. She knew her drives and desires. She was also sworn to serve Avaryss in all things.

If anyone could understand what passed between her and Fenn, it was she.

"He is not **my** Jedi," Avaryss said resuming her pacing, "He is a Jedi, and I do not intend to let our encounter influence my judgment. In fact it may be wise that I do not speak of him, ever again."

She sighed.

"He is dangerous."

Taya grinned broadly.

"You've always had a thing for dangerous men, Avy. I'm surprised that this one worries you so much."

Avaryss' eyes narrowed.

"I'm not _worried_, I'm **concerned**. This…connection between him and me is dangerous. It could be exploited."

She stopped and faced her friend.

"He could destroy us all."

She expected Taya to understand what she was saying, she expected her to agree with what she had said…

…What she did not expect…was for her friend to laugh.

The young Sith's frown deepened, she waited until her friend regained control of herself before continuing, and held her temper in check.

"Aren't you being a little over dramatic?" Taya giggled.

"He is just one man, one Jedi."

"One Jedi that is closer to me than anyone else has ever gotten," Avaryss reminded her, "We grew up together through the Force. In our dreams we met often, our connection to each other growing stronger and stronger as the years went by. Now that we have met, **truly **met, I can't say if that connection will continue to grow stronger. He picked up on one of my surface thoughts when we just talking."

Taya gave her a mischievous look.

"It sounds romantic, knowing someone that intimately, it is a connection to be savored."

"Are you forgetting the fact that he is an enemy," Avaryss growled, "He is a **Jedi**."

"He also has great anger in him. You told me that you sensed it. You told me you felt his rage."

"I did."

"Then I don't see what the problem is," Taya shrugged, Aren't you the one who told me once that you wanted as many Jedi as you could converted? Isn't that what you first master wanted you to work for, to follow the work of…of…what was his name again?"

"Lord Hecaetus."

"Right, well, why don't you use what you learned? This connection you have with this boy works both ways. If he is as close to you as you say, why not use that connection to **your** advantage? Why do you not seek to bring him over to _our_ side?"

In truth, she had thought about doing just that. Taya was not wrong, the connection did work both ways. Yes, she could feel the light through her connection to Fenn, but, at the same time, he should be able to sense the darkness through her."

_Could it be done?_ She wondered. _Could he be brought over to the dark side?_

If she could get him to tap into his anger again, maybe. She had felt their mutual passions. Could she not turn those passions to her advantage? Could she not reawaken the anger and betrayal he felt when he first emerged from the temple's destruction years ago?

_Could she do it?_

It would not be easy, but nothing worth doing ever was.

The true danger in making such an attempt would be opening herself up to him fully, to let him in with her shields down.

She was not sure if she trusted herself enough to do that. The part of her that was still Keera rose easily inside her in Fenn Shadowstone's presence. He might seek to undo everything that she had done to herself, to bring Keera back. The hunter could get captured by the game.

She could not allow that to happen.

She shook her head, many thoughts bouncing around inside her mind.

She had had several visions of Fenn over the years. She should have realized that it was only a matter of time until they met. Once she had seen herself fighting at his side. She had been clad in the robes of the Jedi, and the two of them had seemed to fit together like hand in glove.

Another vision had been of Fenn sharing her bed, the two of them locked in an embrace as they indulged their darkest fantasies and physical pleasures. Taya had been in that vision too. The two female Sith had been sharing Fenn, or perhaps she and Fenn had simply been sharing Taya…

The future is always in motion, she knew, her training had made that abundantly clear. It was not just the will of the Force that governed such things, but the choices of men and women as well. It was ever changing. Any event could tip the balance. Fenn could be either her future lover, or her slayer, depending on the choices they made. The Force might guide you to the door, but it was you who had to decide to step through it.

It was yet another reason that she needed to keep her distance from this right now. All of her skills and mind should be focused on dealing with the conspiracy, and those enacting it.

There would be a time for her to decide what to do with Fenn later.

Right now, she had bigger fish to fry.

"I don't have time for this right now, Tay," she said coldly, I cannot allow my encounter with Fenn to distract me from what is really important, and besides, I still have Fehl to consider.

Avaryss smiled grimly.

I've spent so much time preparing for his return, seeking out the necessary rituals and components. I do not wish my love to feel that I've betrayed his memory."

Taya nodded, but from her expression, and what Avaryss was sensing from her through the Force, it was clear that her friend had other ideas about her goals."

"What?" Avaryss demanded.

Have I said something wrong?"

Taya sighed. Avaryss could sense her trepidation, clearly the other girl did not wish to say what she was about to say.

"Speak your mind," she ordered her friend, "Go on…say your piece."

The other girl nodded, but did not respond quickly.

When she did, Avaryss could see why she had held back.

Her opinion was not one that Avaryss favored, how could she?

Tay was asking her to abandon almost two hard years of work and research.

"I know you loved Fehl. He was a strong Sith and I respected and feared him, but Avy…he is gone. He died years ago, and you still have not let that go."

"He saved me in my hour of need," Avaryss replied, "He gave me the strength I needed to reclaim the dark side and pass my final trial."

"And I'm grateful for that, as you should be, but…maybe he meant that to be his final gift to you. It might have been his way of telling you goodbye."

"Or it is a reminder that he is still out there. That he trusts me to bring him back, to restore what we had, to take back what that witch Nass ripped away from us."

Taya frowned.

"I just don't want you to get your heart broken again, Avy. Even if you do this, even if you manage to bring Fehl back, who is to say that he will be the same man you fell in love with? There is a good reason that our Sith ancestors chose to bind their souls to the tombs on Korriban. The chaos, the madness beyond death that awaits us is called that for a reason. Even if you can bring Fehl back, who is to say what his mental state would be after being lost there for so long."

Avaryss said nothing, her hands clenching into angry fists and opening again as her mind worked.

"Fehl is gone," Taya repeated, "And now the Force has seen fit to offer you someone new, and could give you the future you deserve. This Fenn…he could be the one that finally heals your heart after having it been hardened for so long. I can sense that you would not be opposed to that. I can sense your confusion about him, but also your desire."

Her friend grinned.

"I haven't sensed these kinds of feelings from you since you first met Fehl. I say give the boy a chance. Reestablish your dream connection, open him up the dark side, and let him see its power and what it can offer. Let him know that you are part of that offering, and what the two of you could accomplish together. Wear down his defenses, and then strike when it is time, you can do it Avy. I know you can."

"Take what is yours."

Avaryss shivered, her friend made a valid point. Fehl was gone, and Fenn was here, perhaps she could open his mind to the darkside, perhaps she could seduce him and bring him back into her sphere. Perhaps she could…

Fehl's face appeared before her, his golden eyes cold and hard. Her breath caught in her throat.

No, she could not do it.

She would not give up on what they had shared.

The image of him seemed to nod, both accepting and agreeing with her choice.

_Yes…Fenn was __**nothing.**_

_She would not give up on her love._

_Not now. _

She had worked too hard to see it all fall apart when she was so close to absolute victory. Fehl would come back. She would bring him back, and they would be together again, they would love again, not just as fellow Sith but as equals.

She shook her head, pushing back all thoughts of the men in her life and what might yet be.

"Now is not the time for this," she informed her friend, "Our houses are threatened, our masters' very positions are being threatened."

She gave her friend a cool look.

"Love and talk of it has its place, but not here, and not now."

We have enemies to deal with.

Taya nodded.

"Consider what I said," she advised, "The future is full of possibilities, if we allow ourselves to see them."

Avaryss nodded.

She would follow her friend's advice, but it would not change her mind.

Her future, her destiny led her back to Fehl, she was sure of it.

It was now…only a matter of time.

IOI

"It seems that your masters were right girls," Taya's mother informed them, "The Red Eclipse, the ones you came her seeking were behind the attack on our shuttles."

Avaryss nodded.

She wished that she could say she was surprised.

The Sith met in the small meeting room inside the Dresco facility. A series of pre-furbished domes owned by Taya's father, the structures had been designed for work on worlds with harsh environments. The ones used here used the very snow that fell on them to provide not only a form of insulation from the cold, but also provide water and power once processed through the structures generators.

An ingenious set up, but for the moment, Avaryss was not really concerned with the technological marvel around her.

She was eager for blood.

She and Taya set next to each other while Lady Tazia sat across from them. Baron Dresco had joined them by hyper-comm, his holographic image flickering at the head of the table.

Taya's father did not look happy.

"I should have seen this coming," the man said shaking his head, "Despite the money that I pay to ensure our security, we've always had problems with the local gangs. I've always figured in the loss of a cargo shipment or two. That is just part of the game on Hoth, the cost of doing business."

He glanced over at his wife, his expression one of concern.

"I underestimated the gangs, and almost lost my wife and my first born."

"We are safe husband," Lady Tazia said in a soothing voice, "The Force provided, and we managed to escape unscathed."

"Now it falls to us to decide on how best to respond to all of this," Avaryss added, "This attack has to be answered, my master will be most displeased if I do nothing."

"Mine as well," Taya said, "And by striking at us, these criminals prove that they are involved with what Avy here has been investigating."

Avaryss turned to Lady Tazia.

"Did the communications officer that you interrogated give up anything else before he ran out of breath?"

"Very little, I'm afraid," she said with disgust, "I pushed him beyond the realm of lying, in his agony he told me all that he knew."

Avaryss pursed her lips.

She wasn't so sure.

Torture could be counter-productive some times. If the pain got too bad, if the subject broke completely, then the person might start telling you anything just to make it stop.

Not everyone had the will of a Sith.

Avaryss hissed in disgust.

"Regardless, we have probably lost any chance of dealing with this scum. If I were them I would have boarded a ship and fled as soon as I learned of the mercenaries' failure. The whole group could be on the other side of the galaxy by now."

Baron Dresco smiled.

"You do not understand how things are done on Hoth, young Avaryss. Those men could have fled, yes, but they have not. They are still in their base even now, tending to business as usual."

Taya blinked.

"How do you know that, father?"

The baron chuckled.

"As I said this is not the first time that I've lost a shuttle on that ice ball. As soon as my love informed me that the Red Eclipse was involved, I contacted them, or rather the man I keep inside of their organization. I let him know of my displeasure, and my willingness to see at least some of the group offered up as sacrificial lambs. My man inside seems to think that this could work to his advantage that he could move up in the organization if our response was…appropriate."

Taya's mother smirked.

"And just how appropriate of a response would you man require?"

"A few key members removed from the organization, stumbling blocks in his path. If I was to provide that, and a generous stipend, my man inside is willing to arrange for a malfunction of their bases defenses."

Baron Dresco smiled at Avaryss.

"You would be able to walk right in the front door."

The young Sith laughed.

Fools, she thought.

Greedy fools!

She was about to say as much to the baron, but his lady wife beat her to it.

"Make it look like you are going to pay the money, husband, but do not release the funds, you will not need to."

"Wife?"

Lady Tazia smiled wickedly.

"I know how these fools believe the game on this world is played, but they have forgotten one important fact."

"And that is?"

"They are **not **playing the game with _you,_ they are playing it with _**me**_, and a Sith does not let such an affront go unanswered, not when are very powerbase is threatened by common thugs."

Dresco nodded, he had been married to his wife long enough to understand he moods.

"I think it best that you leave no survivors then. We cannot be seen at reneging on a deal. I still do a lot of business on Hoth and with these gang's off-world members."

The Baron cleared his throat.

"Find what you need, and make a clean sweep of the rest, wife. Let us not be sloppy in dealing with this."

Lady Tazia grinned.

"Have you ever known me to be sloppy, husband? You have my assurance, there will be no survivors."

He nodded and grinned pleasantly, the fact that he had just condemned the full roster of the Red Eclipse to death seemed to have had no effect on him. Already Taya's father was back to business as usual.

Avaryss grinned.

She could see why the Baron and Taya's mother still had such a successful relationship. The man could be ruthless as a Sith if he needed to.

Both love and ruthlessness, the Lady Tazia could not have asked for a better partner.

Hopefully, she would have her own one day, once Fehl had returned.

"My man inside the Red Eclipse is named Greene," The Baron informed them, "He is one of the few humans that work for the group, so he should not be hard to find. He may know more about who put them up to hiring the mercenaries. He has served my house well in the past but…business is business."

He looked over at his wife.

"I leave his fate to you, my darling. See to his end in any way you see fit."

"I will keep in mind his service to our house, husband," she promised.

"He will find the end that he deserves."

IOI

Two hours later it was all over.

The Baron's man on the inside had been true to his word. The Sith had entered the Red Eclipse base unopposed. The base itself, another modified ship wreck had once been a Republic capital ship. Thanks to the human Greene the Sith knew the full layout of the base.

It had made their work even easier.

Taya's mother had taken the lead with Avaryss and Taya following behind, accompanied by Beric, a company of Sith soldiers, and Dresco security troops as well.

The cleansing of the base had begun with the igniting of the Siths' lightsabers, Taya and her mother's double blades, and Avaryss' single bladed hilt.

The killing had begun in earnest.

The lower thugs fell first, the ones that come out to greet the new arrivals, they had been unprepared for the Sith to come at them with weapons hot. Beric had taken their soldiers deeper into the base to secure the officers, the ones most likely to know who had put them up to the attack on the Dresco shuttles.

Avaryss had eagerly applied herself to the slaughter, that a chance to get to see Taya's mother in action. Avaryss had long noted her blonde friend's skill, but her mother was several degrees higher. As the slaughter around them continued, she saw the battle rager that Taya's mother had been in her youth.

It was a bit terrifying to be sure.

The older Sith was like a scythe in a farmer's field, anything that got in her way got cut down, and the blood and death only seemed to drive her even further into darkness, the force increasing both her speed and savagery with every kill.

Avaryss had never really seen a fully trained Sith marauder fight until that moment. She had known Sith who had been sent to train with them, but seeing a fully trained marauder in action.

No wonder the Sith army was so feared.

Taya's mother's skill with a lightsaber was astonishing. She blended acrobatic Ataru, and aggressive Juyo into a dance of death.

Avaryss grinned.

One day she hoped to have such control over the Force. She would never be a battle rager of course, but the sweet skill that Lady Tazia possessed was the envy of many a Sith.

Avaryss hoped to match such skill one day.

After the blood had come the interrogations. Taya's mother, still drunk on blood and the dark side conducted most of these, her eyes blazed golden as applied pressure to the surviving criminals.

As For Greene, the human that had let them in, Lady Tazia let Avaryss see to his interrogation and end.

It was…a very educational experience.

"BUT I HELPED YOU!" the man had wailed.

"I HELPED YOU!"

"Oh I know you did, good sir," Avaryss purred, picking up a rather nasty looking drilling tool.

She turned to the man and with a smile held it up, the drill whirring to life in her hand.

Her eyes blazed with the fire of the dark side as she advanced.

"BUT LET US PRETEND THAT YOU DIDN'T!" she laughed.

She lunged forward.

The man screamed anew.

Avaryss still feeling after the encounter with Fenn and her worries about Fehl's resurrection welcomed the man's screams. The fires of the dark side burned brightest when one was dominating a foe.

Those fires burned away both doubt, and confusion.

She welcomed that sweet release, it would not last, but for the moment, the darkness was the sweetest of balms, a drug that washed away all but anger and fury.

The dark side was an addiction that no Sith would ever wish to be cured of, she had read that somewhere, but at that moment she could not say where, or who had said it.

She had not cared.

The man's screams consumed all, that and the savage pleasure of destruction.

What some Sith scholar had said years ago mattered not.

All that mattered was the pain, and the screaming.

It was all, the darkside was all.

It was all that mattered.

IOI

The Sith followed the Baron's suggestion to the letter, no survivors remained of the Red Eclipse here on Hoth.

Still buzzing from her encounter with the human Greene, Avaryss was feeling quite giddy as she boarded the Dresco transport, not just because the man had died in agony, but because she had found another link in the chain of the conspiracy, a very high level link.

She was most pleased.

Several of the captured Red Eclipse outlaws had told them the same story. The money used to hire the mercenaries that shot down the Dresco shuttles had come from a single source, a single creature.

His name was Goobik, a Rodian, and that was not all.

This Goobik was no mere thug, he was a high level representative for his world, or so the outlaws had claimed, he served on several committees in the Republic Senate.

Avaryss grinned.

A stooge of the Senate she thought.

Excellent.

The higher up the chain they went, the closer they came to the one behind it, and considering the decisive respond they had gotten here on Hoth she was certain that if you went high enough up the chain you would come to one being, one single leader.

It was that person that she wanted to speak with. It was that person that she would need to kill.

She wanted that meeting, hungered for it. She wanted to hear his blood crackling on the blade of her lightsaber!

She giggled.

You are blood drunk, her conscience chided, drunk on the power of the darkside.

Perhaps, she thought, but who cared.

The power felt fantastic!

She caught Beric giving her a dirty look, but chose to ignore it. She was too high on victory right now to care what her mundane brother thought.

They had a name, and soon they would have a location.

She would find this Goobik, and then…and then…

He would learn the power of the dark side.

And then…he would know fear…no terror!

She grinned.

He would know **terror!**

He would know.

She would show him.

It would be fun!


	40. Knowledge and Meditation

**Chapter 40: Knowledge and Meditation**

I will never complain about Dromund Kaas heat again.

That was her first thought as Avaryss stepped inside her quarters aboard her Fury class interceptor. Rink had his orders, find a nice random location and wait for her to give them their next destination. She closed the doors to her chambers asking that she not be disturbed and turned up the heat to a level likely only found on a desert world.

The young Sith smiled as she stripped off her cold weather gear, and sat down on her bed wearing nothing but her undergarments, intending to do nothing more for the next few hours then simply bask in the heat.

You are going to be sweating in an hour, her conscience chided, but in that moment, she did not care. The freezing cold of Hoth had seeped into her bones…

…she welcomed the chance to sweat. Who knew, it might be just what she needed to shake off the last of the chill she was feeling.

Ice worlds were definitely not her thing. Between her experiences on Fury 9, and the bitter cold and ice of Hoth, she would be perfectly happy to spend the rest of her life on a a temperate world, such a place, at that moment, would likely have been her definition of paradise.

Still…the journey to Hoth had served its purpose; once again she had a new target, a new prey to hunt. She had already sent word back home to House Feer and Warmaster Feore.

He would put his people on finding this Rodian worm that that outlaws had dealt with, and as soon as he did, she would be ready.

The hunt for their enemy continued.

She would have asked Taya to join her on this final leg of her journey, but her friend's master had other plans. He had contacted her after their return from the outlaw base, temporarily releasing her into her mother and House Dresco's service. Despite their success on Hoth Taya's mother remained…unsure of Avaryss, it seemed, either that, or Goss and Lady Tazia had their own plans for her friend's future. The former could not be helped; the latter would not matter in the end.

Taya would serve Avaryss, she felt the truth in that, and Taya had foreseen it as well.

It **would** come to pass.

For now, Avaryss would simply have to wait for Warmaster Feore to get back to her. She had given him the name of their target, and his agents were no doubt already looking into the matter for her. She closed her eyes and began to enter a meditative state. She hoped that the dark side would offer her some clue that might accelerate their hunt. Perhaps even grant her some insight into what she needed to do next.

She drew breath evenly, in and out, slowly she felt herself beginning to drift; she turned her gaze inward looking for the heart of the dark side, looking to find her center.

It was not hard to find the darkness, it was there. It had _always_ been there. You just needed to stop and listen, to look with a sight that went beyond your eyes. You needed to…

She paused in mid-breath.

What the…?

She…felt _something,_ a familiar pull that she had not sensed in a very long time. She felt it…tugging on her mind, a sense of being drawn elsewhere, of being pulled some long distance.

Avaryss smiled.

She _**knew**_ what was going on.

_She knew __**who**__ was trying to contact her._

_Poor boy, he just couldn't stay away._

She could have resisted, but decided not to. She let herself be pulled away, carried out by a gentle current flowing through the Force. The sounds of the world around her vanished, the hum of the ship the growing velvet-like heat starting to caress her bare skin.

She let herself be taken, she let everything fall away.

I wonder where we will turn up this time. Will he bring me back to the temple, or some new locale? Now that she had an understanding of her own powers, she knew that she had a choice, but no…

She would let things play out. She was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, at least in this.

Her mind slipped away from her body, she did not fight it.

Fenn was waiting.

She did not desire to be late.

IOI

She felt that old giddy sense of flying, of moving through the cosmos without a ship. Her consciousness, freed of her body, moved through the galaxy at the speed of thought, perhaps even faster. She closed her eyes, things were moving so fast, it was hard to keep everything straight and then…just like that…

She came to a stop; there was no jolt, just a sudden realization, and a sudden sense of arrival.

She opened her eyes, and was…surprised.

She gasped.

_What was this?_

Surprise momentarily stunned her, but then, the darkness took hold again, and with it, a sense of bitterness.

She shook her head.

Typical, she thought.

At long last, he finally decided to come here.

She should have guessed.

She looked around her, taking in the sights and smells of Oridanna, the tall grass, the violet skies, the distant creaking of a nearby spore collection tower.

She sighed.

He would choose **this** place, wouldn't he?

She glanced around her; she could see her former home in the distance, a short walk really, only about two or three hundred paces.

It was there that she would find him. She could sense his presence all around her, but it was in that place that he awaited her.

She put one foot in front of the other and made her way through the simple splendor that was Oridanna, she had no eyes for it now, not after everything she had seen. Though at the same time she did feel a slight painful tug in her gut, it wasn't homesickness, she had been gone too long for that emotion to creep into her.

No, it was the echo of past feelings, things that had been lost bubbling to the surface again, drawn by seeing this place again.

She did not let it get to her, she was Sith, this place had no hold on her. It may have been important to Keera, but to Avaryss it was nothing, a mere distraction.

"Liar," a tiny voice within her said a voice that sounded too much like a long dead Oridanna farm girl.

You will never truly be rid of this place, the voice seemed to murmur. It is what happened here that made you what you are.

No, she thought, it was _a beginning_. Keera's life was nothing; it was a crystallis period for her, nothing more.

She had torn away that shell long ago. She had emerged something more, something stronger.

She would not be drawn back into the failures of the past.

They were in the past, best forgotten.

The future was what mattered, and the future would belong to her.

She would see to it.

Fenn was waiting for outside the dome that led down into the farm proper. Clad in dark green robes of the Jedi, he looked far different that she had seen him in the past.

She was not surprised.

He no longer sees me as a simple friend, he knows what I am, my affiliation.

The thought made her sad.

_What was this then?_ She wondered, _some foolish Jedi appeal to what I once was? Was he trying to convince her to abandon the darkness? If he was, then he was a fool._

_She would never give up the power she had won. **Never.**_

She smiled slightly.

She was curious to see what he had in mind. If this was some scheme to try and turn her, she wondered what levers he would try pulling.

"Greetings," she said with cool politeness.

"Hello Keera," he said bowing slightly, "Welcome home."

She sighed and shook her head.

"Home," she murmured, "It was Keera's home, not mine. My home is on Dromund Kaas, with my fellow Sith."

If he was taken aback by this, he did not show it.

He kept smiling.

"So…this is where you come from, you told me about it many times, but to finally see it, to see where you grew up…"

He nodded thoughtfully.

"I can see why you wished for me to see this."

She looked around, taking in the sights, familiar sounds greeted, and…at least the illusion of familiar smells. All around her, the air seemed to whisper, tried to draw her back to a less complicated time in her life, a time that was more black white.

Home, the Force seemed to whisper in her ear.

Home.

She frowned.

"This place is gone now," she informed him, her voice as cold as the ice world she had just left behind, "It has no hold over me, not anymore."

She gave him a sly smile.

"Were you thinking of using this against me, did you think that you might undo what I've done to myself these past few years?"

"Not at all," he replied with a shrug, "when we left Hoth, I asked Master Jas about you. Your first encounter aboard the wreck, and what he sensed from you then. I wanted to _understand_ you, not just what you are, but what made you this way."

Fenn sighed.

"I wanted to know, and to understand you, that is all."

"So you thought bringing me here was how you would do that?" she asked, frowning.

"I did not bring you here. I merely reached out with the Force and hoped that you would answer. I let you pick the location of our meeting."

He smiled again.

"You seem to have come dressed for the occasion."

Avaryss looked down. She was surprised by what she saw.

She was not dressed in the robes of the Sith, She wore a simple white shirt, and a set of tan overalls. Her arms were tanned from the sun, her hands dirty from a day out in the fields, inspecting the collection towers.

Chore clothes, she remembered, how many times back on Oridanna had she slipped into these before the sun came up? How many times had she left home early in the morning to make sure that everything was working fine on their farm, that the quotas would be met, and her father free of worry?

Many times, she thought, too many perhaps.

She sighed.

"This will not do," she murmured, she reached down inside herself. She covered her face with her hands, and when she slid them away, Keera Lylos vanished; she melted away like an ice chip on a hot summer day.

Avaryss stood in her place, clad in the robes of the Sith, her lightsaber clipped to her belt.

She smiled.

"Much better," she purred, "And far more comfortable."

"Clearly," Fenn frowned, she sensed a bit of disappointment from him, but did not let that bother her.

She had no regrets of the choices that had brought her to this place. Keera Lylos was gone. She had been weak.

She had not been able to cut it.

"It does not answer my question though," he said.

"And that is," she asked.

"Why?"

He looked at her with sad, yet curious, eyes.

"What brought you to this?"

"I could lie, you know," she smirked.

"You've never lied to me yet, I can't believe that you will start now."

A sense of fear twisted in her gut.

_Some things were better left alone_, the darkness whispered, _why risk bringing them up?_

Because **he** asked, she thought.

That is reason enough.

She sighed.

"Why," she said shaking her head, "I could give you so many reasons. It is what is expected of a Force sensitive in the Empire. I am smart, driven, how could I not seek to excel among the ranks of the Sith."

She grinned slyly.

"Maybe it was just because I look good in black. Do any of those answers seem like lies to you?"

"No," he agreed, "But they are not the whole truth, either."

He gave her a wan smile.

"You do look good in black though."

"Thank you, kind sir," she said with a slight curtsey. Hoping he would not notice the heat rise in her cheeks.

"Your welcome, now how about the **real **truth."

He crossed his arms over his chest. She sensed only determination in him now, rock hard, and immoveable.

"I'm waiting."

She snorted.

Clearly he was not going to budge on this; she had hoped to wear him down but…

She had an idea.

"Must we talk about such things," she purred, her voice turning silky, even a little seductive.

She ran her hand down from her chin down to her waist, the robes she was wearing changed; they became more gowns like, off the shoulder, yet tight in all the right places, showing over her curves, and cut very low in front.

She gave him a warm come hither look.

"Aren't there other things that you would much rather be doing with me?"

He did not even blink.

"Don't tease," he said flatly.

"Am I teasing, I thought I was making an offer. There are men in this galaxy that would not turn down such a chance."

She gave him a coy smile.

"We both know this is a dream, why should we not enjoy it? Would you really be breaking you precious Jedi code if you did?"

"Probably not," he shrugged, "But I recognize this for what it is. You're trying to distract me."

"Is it working?"

"Yeah…a little."

She smirked.

"Only a little," she said glancing down, the way he was now holding the long sleeves of his robe over his waist…

Perhaps she was not wasting her time here, after all. If **that** could manifest here…?

He stopped her with a glare.

"Keera," he said flatly, he was not angry, but he was getting annoyed.

She pouted.

Oh well, she thought, _you couldn't blame a girl for trying._

She had hoped to test the waters, see if he was up for seduction, if he was willing to go with it. She could sense his interest, even a flicker of desire, but that damn Jedi calm of his continued to get in the way.

Pity, she thought.

We could have had some fun.

"You want the why, huh?" she asked, "Fine, but don't say that I didn't warn you."

She closed her eyes and gestured.

Day turned to night. The farm behind them vanished; in its place was a burning pit, a pit that had consumed everything that Keera Lylos had known. At Fenn's feet lay Keera's father, his body left as it had been the night he had been taken from her, the night that Darth Feer had sent his lackeys to her home.

Fenn looked around shocked by the carnage. The burning farm, the Sith troopers mummified in their own armor, the result of Avaryss' first step down the dark path.

"What is this?" he asked.

"This is where it began," she said flatly, "This is the night that Keera died, and Avaryss took her first steps."

She sighed and shook her head.

"I've spent a lot of time avoiding coming back to this place. I hope you can understand why."

She felt a wave of horror run through her, perhaps the Jedi was not used to seeing such things. Well, he better get used to it, she thought.

War would come again, and with it all the horrors that it could unleash.

She was ready.

She wanted Fenn to be to.

"We lived an idealic life, I suppose," she said looking up into the night sky, watching the ashes of her life blow away on the evening wind.

"The dark lord that ruled us was neither harsh nor, vengeful; all he wanted was what we produced. As long as we paid tribute and met the quotas sent to us, we were left alone.

She turned to Fenn and smiled sadly.

"Nothing good lasts forever."

"What happened," he said.

"What always happens," she replied, "The lord that ruled us fell. A rival took control of his holdings. He took control of us."

Avaryss laughed, she remembered her last talk with her father. She remembered him sitting inside the garage cleaning his weapon. He had known what that meant, but had not even tried to get his family to safety.

Avaryss had come to hate him for that.

"Tradition says that a dark lord should not risk an enemy to flourish. He did not take any chances in dealing with those that our former master bowed to. He sent enforcers to my home, to slay anyone in power that could prove to be a threat to his new order. Men like the overseer of our district, my father…we were all supposed to die that night."

Fenn's eyes narrowed.

"He tried to kill you because he thought you a threat?"

"No, he desired our deaths because of _tradition._ A dark lord must destroy his rival's powerbase utterly, unless he wishes his rival's interests to become a threat to him."

"Was your father such a man? Was he a threat?"

"My father only wanted to do his duty, he had been a soldier first, and a loyal son of the Empire a close second."

She laughed fatalistically.

"It did not save him, my mother, or my sisters. It did not save me."

She gestured, again the air shimmered, an illusion of her as she had been that night took shape, Keera Lylos on her knees her arms pinned by Sith troopers, her master's enforcer advancing on her.

"I was to be kept as a trophy," she hissed, "A prize for the son of the new overseer, his pretty wife."

Avaryss' eyes narrowed.

"The Force had other plans."

As Jedi and Sith watched, the illusion of Keera wailed in agony and rage, her body glowed like a star as the death field expanded out from her, consuming the enforcer and his men. Fenn said nothing as he watched, he must have sensed the dark energy that still saturated the memory, and either that or he finally realized just how powerful his dream friend was in the Force.

Avaryss smiled.

"The dark side came to me that night. It **saved** me, and offered me a new life, a life free of fear, free of helplessness."

Fenn shuddered.

"You were a victim," he said, "I'm sorry."

She gave him a cold look.

"I became a **survivor,** and after many hardships, and threats that should have left me broken, I endured, and found my way here, found my way to you."

She grinned.

"And here we are," she said, "At the place where nightmares and fantasies meet."

She giggled.

"Isn't it wonderful?"

She felt a wave of compassion wash over her, her old friend's horror turned to pity.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"I'm not," she purred.

She stepped forward, he did not back away, and he stood his ground, fiercely, proudly.

Good.

"I thought you lost to me," she said in a husky voice, "I thought you just a child's distraction. I…I tried to forget you. What it felt like to be close to you."

Still he did not retreat, he let her get so close that her chest brushed his, she could almost feel the smooth leather of his vest, the rough spun feel of his robe.

It was a start, but she wanted more.

She **needed** more.

In that moment, all thought of Fehl had faded; all that mattered was the now. Her mind was screaming that this was a mistake, that she needed to back away, but the rest of her couldn't do it.

She was finally here.

She would enjoy this moment to the fullest.

"How does it feel," he asked.

She grinned.

"Like this," she murmured, coming up on her toes.

Again he did not back away; she felt his arms starting to encircle her.

"Keera," he murmured his voice thick with desire, his Jedi calm failing.

Perfect.

He began to lower his head as she closed her eyes. He leaned in closer and…

BEEEEEEEEEP!

Avaryss' eyes snapped open; she felt a strange sense of vertigo. It took her a moment to regain her faculties, the world spun strangely as her senses; her true senses came rushing back.

What in the Emperor's name?

BEEEEEP!

She shook her head, clearing away the last of the vision. She was back in her quarters on the Fury. The alarm next to her bed was ringing, the red light on top flashing.

It took her a moment to remember what that meant, the vision she had shared with Fenn had left her frazzled, unsure where she was.

She snarled in barely restrained fury.

Fools!

IDIOTS!

She had been _**so**_ close!

She had given orders not to be disturbed!

It took all of her self-control to not leave her quarters, go up the cockpit and throttle Mister Rink! Had he not listened, she had told him not to bother her. That he should only contact her if it was an emergency.

The alarm beeped again.

The realization washed over her.

An emergency.

She shook her head again.

Maybe it was.

She reached out with the Force, pressing the button, she took another deep breath, she did not want to vent her anger if this was truly an emergency.

"Rink," she growled, only just holding her temper in check.

"Hey Boss," the former street rat replied, "We got a call coming in for you from Dromund Kaas. Your eyes only."

Avaryss blinked.

_Had Feore found the Rodian already?_

_If so…that was quick!_

"Is it Lord Feer?" she asked.

"Don't think so boss," Rink replied, "It is on the executive channel though, the one from the Citadel. Figured you might want to take this."

Avaryss frowned.

A call from the citadel, not from Feer, but a direct line?"

Who could have gotten a direct line to her ship? If not Lord Feer then…"

Avaryss smiled, realization washed over her.

She was pretty sure she knew who was on the other end of the line now.

She rose from her bed, and slipped on a robe. She reached out with the Force to turn down the heat, trying to make herself look respectable.

"Put the call through Rink," she said, "I will take it in here."

"Sure thing, boss, whatever you say..."

Avaryss nodded. All thought of Fenn and what might have happened faded. She was all business now.

It would be unwise to face this one in any other state.

His image appeared, not as large as the one in the comm room, but large enough to confirm who it was that was calling.

She smiled warmly.

"Darth Baras," she said bowing her head, "I do hope the information I presented you with last time proved useful."

The older Sith chuckled, his silver armor seemed to gleam in the light.

"No pointless pleasantries this time, youngster? No 'you are honored by my call?"

He laughed again.

"Good," he said, "I have another deal for you, child. If you are willing to play along?"

Her smile widened.

"I can't deny that I profited from our last arrangement. What can I do for you Lord Baras?"

"I've just learned youngster that you are currently in pursuit of a member of the Rodian Senatorial staff."

Baras stood a little straighter.

"He is of interest to me. I thought we might come to an arrangement on his…future."

Avaryss chuckled, if only to hide her surprise.

She did not know who had told Baras about this. It could have been someone in House Dresco, one of Lord Goss' people, maybe even an agent within House Feer.

One thing was for certain, she would speak to Lord Feer about increasing security, just in case.

They shouldn't make things too easy for Darth Baras.

"When you say…future, my lord, I take it that means you wish him to have a lack of one, yes?"

"Nothing so crude, young one," the dark lord replied, "His death would send a message, but leaving him alive would allow me to send another one."

Baras leaned in closer.

"When you confront this…dog, I would like you to suggest that it was a certain Jedi that told you where he was, and leave him alive to tell the tale. It would serve my interest to see a little dissention stirred up within the Jedi ranks."

Avaryss chuckled.

I could sing this song for you Lord Baras, but once again, I must ask, and do not doubt my loyalty to the cause of seeing the Jedi suffer, but…"

She grinned.

"What is in this for me?"

If Baras was angered by her presumption he did not show it.

If anything he radiated amusement.

"I do have something to trade child, not just the location of your prey, but also a special report that just found its way into my hands. An interesting read, I must say, naming a certain Jedi Master working with Republic Intelligence, someone who no doubt would have preferred this report never been filed, but…it has, and now it is mine."

"Congratulations, my lord," she said, "It seems your agents have come through again."

"I would prefer to call them my invisibles, child, if they existed of course.

'Of course," she agreed.

"I take it you are interested in what I've found?"

"Most definitely," she said.

"Then we can trade," he said, "I will send you the report, it will be encrypted of course, can't be too careful, once you have dealt with the Rodian, and planted the name that I've asked. I will send you the cypher key to unlock the report."

"Sounds fair," she said, "I will aid you in this, my lord, in fact, it will be my pleasure."

"That is good," the older Sith agreed, "I'm most pleased."

" Glad to hear it," she said, "Now all that remains is for you to tell me where the Rodian is, that and the name of the Jedi you want me to attach to this."

"The Jedi's name is Nomen Karr; he has been a thorn in my side for years. I would be most eager to see that thorn pulled out, but for now he has some use. Especially if he is linked to something…interesting."

"And the Rodian," she asked, "You said you had a location for me?"

"Goobik is the man's name, is it not?" Baras asked.

"It is."

Then…I have good news for you," Darth Baras said, sounding pleased with her descision.

"Representative Goobik is currently on Nar Shadda. Though he had been spending more and more time on Hutta recently, confront him, and give him the name."

Baras chuckled.

"Master Karr will have a lot of explaining to do, and you will have the evidence that you seek in bringing down the head of the conspiracy."

Avaryss grinned.

"Your information goes that high up?"

It does," Baras promised.

"Then why not deal with it yourself?"

Baras shrugged.

"I have my reasons," he said, "For now you have a choice to make. You can carry out my wishes and learn what I've learned, or continue to thrash around in the dark. I know what choice I would make if I was in your position, young one."

Avaryss nodded.

It was not much of a choice.

"I will send your message, my lord," she promised, "Have my cypher key ready to send."

It will be child," he promised, "Until then…good hunting. Baras out."

"Thank you, my lord," she replied.

The hologram faded, she did not even bother checking to see if it erased itself, she knew that it would.

Nar Shadda, she thought, or Nal Hutta, the prey was there.

She was looking forward to this.

One more victim, and she would be in a good position to strike at the conspiracy directly.

She welcomed the chance, and all it cost her was the chance to frame a Jedi.

She welcomed that offer.

She would say anything if it got her to the head of the conspiracy. Not that he would be head of anything much longer.

If Baras' offer paid off.

Perhaps she would need to reevaluate her feelings for the Sith Master.

_I will do as he asked, but in the end, the true rewards would be mine._

As would the Republic lackey.

As was the galaxy and it all began here. She looked forward to their meeting.

The future was coming.

She welcomed that arrival.

_Let my enemies be warned_, she though with a hungry smile.

"Let them beware and die."

She welcomed that last part.

She laughed.

She was going to enjoy this…

…very much.


	41. Hutt and Go Seek

**Chapter 41: Hutt and Go Seek**

Nal Hutta, the glorious jewel in the crown of the Hutt syndicate. A symbol of the grandeur of their great enterprise, and a glimpse of the Empire they once ruled long ago. The world that told you everything you needed to know about the Hutt clans and their business.

Avaryss was not impressed.

Her first real glimpse of Nal Hutta had been in the shuttle coming down from Nar Shadda. She would have preferred to arrive aboard her Fury, but the Hutts would not allow warships to touch down on their planet, Empire or otherwise, and since the neutrality treaty the Hutts enjoyed needed to be upheld, Avaryss once again found herself riding in a shuttle down to the planet's surface. It had been understandably nerve racking, considering how her shuttle ride down to Hoth had ended, but this time things went off without incident.

She watched as the bloated yellow and brown world filled the viewport. Its oily surface was a stain against the blackness if space, much like the gangsters themselves. According to what she had heard, Nal Hutta was not the original homeworld of the slug-like creatures, just a world they had seized. Few of the original inhabitants remained, but their numbers were fewer and fewer each year, in time they would slip into history with barely a whisper, and the Hutts would truly be the masters of this world. As for the planet's surface, the Hutts had spent years transforming their new homeworld into their ideal version of paradise.

It was far from what Avaryss would consider paradise, but then again, she was no Hutt. What she considered beautiful, and what the slugs did was two entirely different things.

They broke through the atmosphere, and skimmed over the smoggy swamp gas filled sky. The palaces of various gangsters popped up through the swamps like metallic implants on diseased skin. Around each had grown small settlements where the Hutts' servants lived and labored. According to Mister Rink, most Hutts saw their servants as property, even if they weren't slaves, a Hutt would not allow anyone under his control to be too far away from his master, they hoarded their people just like they hoarded their credits.

It was never a good thing to find yourself in the thrall of a Hutt.

Now, she sat in the back of a swamp speeder while Rink maneuvered them through yet another of the stagnant marshlands that made up the Hutt capital's surface. Strange winged creatures screamed over head as they continued their journey, on their way to meet with the Hutt that did the most business with the Empire, or rather with House Feer and her allies.

She hoped that the slug would prove useful.

She wrinkled her nose as the speeder flew past other Hutt structures. Beric sat in the passenger seat next to Rink, keeping his eyes out for any trouble. Though they presented a united front to outsiders Hutts were not above trying to embarrass their rivals by arranging accidents for high priority guests.

It was not so different among the Sith, she realized, though we tend to be cleaner when we wish to embarrass a rival.

In the seat next to her, sat Quenya, the Devish girl had been silent since Hoth. Through the Force Avaryss could sense her indecision. The young Sith had hoped that exposing the girl to the darkside, letting her see the power that could be hers would be enough to draw her deeper down the dark path, so far, she had been disappointed.

_Perhaps I was wrong about this one_, she thought, _perhaps it will become necessary to remove her._

She nodded thoughtfully to herself.

She hated wasting resources, but if that is what it took that is what it took.

Quenya would join the Sith, or she would die.

Succeed or perish.

There could be no middle ground.

She had brought the girl along to test her resolve, to see how she reacted in the presence of the Hutts, a group that the Republic continued to court the favor of. She wanted the girl to see that the Empire and the Republic were not so different. Both were willing to go to great length to secure the future, even if it meant making alliances with creatures such as these.

"What are we knowing about this Niro the Hutt," the girl asked, "Is he being a friend or foe."

"He is neither," she replied, "He is simply a Hutt who has proven open to Imperial advances; therefore we must try to cultivate his favor."

As you say," the alien girl responded, her emotions hidden from Avaryss.

It did little to endure her in the young Sith's eyes.

In truth though, she found herself sharing her fellow's concern. From what Warmaster Feore had told her, Niro was not the most powerful Hutt on the planet. Many of the old guard Gangster Lord viewed him as an upstart, taking his stance on the Empire as a weakness, and did little to aid his advancement because of that.

It made her question the wisdom of seeking him out in the first place, but her master had been adamant.

The slug had his uses.

"Do _**not**_ underestimate Niro the Hutt, apprentice," Lord Feer had advised her, "He has never been a big player in the Hutt clans, but he is ambitious, and he is our way into the Hutt cartel, and will be even more valuable to us when the Empire finally deals with the Republic."

Her master had grinned.

"He will help you find what you need."

"As you wish, my master," she had replied. She hoped her master was right about this. Niro was **his **contact, after all.

He was only willing to act so far on the advice of a rival.

Her master was understandably skeptical about this latest deal offered by Darth Baras, even more so that he had chosen to offer it to his apprentice rather than bring the information straight to him.

It had fallen to her to put her master's mind at ease, to make sure he did nothing rash to jeopardize what they were about to attempt.

"If Baras thinks to turn me against you, he is wasting his time," Avaryss assured him; she kept her eyes downcast, not rising from her bended knee.

"A daughter would never turn against her father. Baras clearly does not understand how deep our connection to each other goes."

Feer had nodded, she sensed…acceptance from her master, buying what she was telling him.

Good.

"He has always viewed his apprentices as disposable commodities," Feer agreed, "It is the reason he has so few lords in his service. They know what type of man he is."

_And I know what type of man you are, my master_, Avaryss thought.

_That is how I'm able to keep you blind to what I'm really after._

She was eager for the day to come that she could stop playing the loyal apprentice, when she could resume her true feelings towards the man who had taken her family from her. For now though, she needed to be patient.

No empire was built in a day after all.

"We are approaching Lord Niro's dwelling, my lord," Beric called over her shoulder, "You should prepare yourself for this meeting."

Avaryss smiled. Her brother did not need to tell her that. She slipped on her mask and helmet, pulling up the hood of her cloak. It had been Rink's idea that she meet with Niro so armored. He thought it would make things go more smoothly.

"You can't afford to let this Niro think he is your superior, boss," Rink had advised, "I never got a chance to interact with the slugs much during my time on Nar Shadda, but when I did I noticed one thing above all others."

"And that is?" she had asked.

"Hutts seem to have a craving for what non-Hutts consider beautiful, and I'm not simply talking art or luxury items either. You will often see a Hutt in the company of beautiful slaves, male and female both. I'm not really sure why they do so, but from what I saw, they seem to equate what we consider beautiful as either lesser than they, or weak."

Avaryss thought that she might have an idea of why the Hutts behaved so. It was not about the appreciation of beauty, but about status. Hutts knew what their non-Hutt rivals desired so they sought it out to prove their own superiority. By possessing such beauty they proved their grandness, and when it came to destroying such possession, it served as an example, it showed their ruthlessness.

An enemy would no doubt learn quickly just how much they were worth in the eyes of a Hutt. They would see the creatures destroy something of great beauty as if it was nothing.

Some saw that as power, she did not.

It was nothing compared to the power of the Force.

Still the former street rat might have a point.

"You think my looks may work against me, Rink?" she inquired.

He shrugged.

"You are an attractive young woman, boss, you don't want some Hutt-lord using that against you. You don't want him to think that you are just some pretty thing that your boss is parading before him. Show your power first, and things will go much easier for you, trust me."

Avaryss had smirked when she heard that.

_Attractive am I?_

"You consider me attractive, Mister Rink? I thought your heart belonged to your Twi'lek girl?"

He had smiled then.

"Simple art appreciation, boss," he replied, "I can recognize beauty without lusting over it. It is the equivalent of seeing a speeder that I really like, one that I could never afford in a hundred years."

Avaryss had laughed at that.

"Stay loyal to me Rink and you will be quite surprised by what you can afford by the time our game is done."

He acknowledged that with a slight nod. Rink may have been a fool about some things, but in this he had been wise.

He knew who was likely to give him what he wanted. Avaryss was the key to his success.

He was smart enough not to jeopardize that.

The swamp speeder made its final turn, entering a small walled courtyard with several large docks. Two large porcine Gamorrean guards stood waiting on the end of one, each with a vibro-ax in hand.

Avaryss smiled.

They had entered the lair of Niro the Hutt.

Now it begins, she thought.

Showtime.

IOI

The large tan domes of Niro's palace rose up like three boils from the swampy landscape. Avaryss and her party were quickly ushered inside. The largest dome served as the Hutt's audience chamber and throne room, rising up almost three stories tall, and lit sparsely, casting many shadows, the Hutt's dwelling was a court of shadows.

Avaryss reached out with the Force, feeling the menace of this place, the sense of foreboding and helplessness. It was a sensation that she had been feeling since her arrival on this planet.

The Hutts seemed to encourage it in others, even feed off it.

She supposed that that was why they had never truly shut the door on Empire, that and the lure of Sith credits.

Though it was dark, she could make out the denizens that made up the Hutt's court, a collection of rogues and thugs, bounty hunters and hired guns she suspected, as well as the odd thrill-seeker, places like this often attracted such rabble. Most were alien, Aqualish, Quarren, Rodian, Gamorrean, even a few human or humanoid species, all armed to the teeth.

She was surprised that the Hutt allowed so many weapons in his court, but then again, if not for Niro, what would these creatures have?

To the right of the throne, on a pile of giant crimson colored pillows, lounged twelve young women, all lithe, beautiful and scantily clad humans, Twi'leks, Rodians, Sullustans, and what might have been an identical pair of Cathar females, their markings making them almost indistinguishable from the other.

Avaryss sensed little from these, their emotions were dull in the Force, as if in a dream; their surface thoughts were of the softness of the pillows or the feel of the silk on their bare skin. They were completely relaxed, but not really acknowledging what was going on around them.

_Drugged?_ It **was** possible. She had seen such things before. The Sith were not above drugging their own pleasure slaves, it made them more…pliable, less likely to be…disagreeable.

_Such is the fate of the weak_, the darkness whispered in the back of her mind, _their beauty is all they are, they are nothing._

_They deserve to be nothing. _

Avaryss felt nothing for these. She might have pitied them once, but now…

She smiled.

_I'm making progress, the less compassion I feel, the better._

_It will make things easier when I finally __**do**__ ascend to my master's throne._

A single dull yellow light shown down on the high dais, it was here that the Hutt had made his throne, though throne was not really the proper name for it, it was just a large flat stone platform, a platform with a long single railing on its far right side. It was here that the Hutt lord lounged, puffing contentedly from a pipe attached to a large hookah.

As they entered a broad shouldered human emerged from the shadows, his arms and legs hinted at a career as an enforcer, but it was clear from his growing belly that he had been indulging in the pleasure of a high office in the Hutt's service. His features were squat and ugly, his greasy blonde hair slicked back tight against his rounded skull.

The man smiled, showing a mouth full of gold teeth.

"Welcome Sith," he called out, "I'm Thom Istris, Majordomo to his splendid highness, the might Niro."

The majordomo bowed respectfully.

"I bid you greetings in the name of our most splendid master."

Avaryss nodded slightly, first to the Hutt and to his toady.

"Mighty Niro," she said, "In the name of my master Darth Feer, lord of the Itae and Zahn systems, I thank you for granting me this audience."

She smiled beneath her mask.

"It was most generous of you."

Niro the Hutt chuckled, a slight wave of revulsion washed over Avaryss.

This creature did little to endear himself to her.

The "Splendid" Niro was small for a Hutt, slimmer than the ones she had seen in the spaceport after landing on the planet. His skin was a dark yellow hue, mottled with green markings. She suspected that this creature could move quickly when he needed, his small waddled arms were quite thick, hinting of muscle that had not gone to seed from days of lounging in his palace. Like other Hutts he wore no garments, only a large monocle in his right eye, perhaps some direct data-feed device, she thought she saw symbols flash across its surface. They were cold indeed those eyes, cold and full of menace, large blue eyes that peered out from beneath a heavy brow. The Hutt's wide frog-like mouth was mottled with brown spittle a green slime, its lips twitch as he looked at her

Avaryss tried not to quail under that gaze...

A large purple tongue slithered out and ran along that wide hungry mouth, the lips twisting into what might have been a smile.

The Hutt rumbled a laugh, and said something in Huttese.

Thom Istris smiled.

"My glorious master offers you thanks for your courtesy and applauds your manners."

"It is a rare thing in these troubled times."

Avaryss did not stop smiling,

Liar, she thought

Before coming here, Holli had made some modifications to the sonic dampeners that Avaryss wore in her ears. Normally the devices served merely to mute loud noises, a necessary function given the damage her hearing had suffered during a botched interrogation on Korriban. Now they served a new purpose, and equally as useful.

"I've installed translators into your ear pieces," the changeling engineer had informed her, "And I've programed them for Huttese."

The red haired woman smiled.

"Could come in quite useful."

In this, Holli seemed to have been proven right.

Those modifications were functioning perfectly.

What the Hutt had really said was.

"Does this slip of a creature think to scare me? Feer says he is sending a Sith, but it is a little girl that arrives. Black armor and masks might work on the slaves that think them gods, but not me. Find out why Feer's lackey his here servant, before I grow bored."

Avaryss' eyes narrowed.

A little girl was she? She was tempted to give the arrogant Hutt a demonstration of her powers. If he was growing bored, she was certain that she could spice things up, perhaps choke him through the power or the Force, or perhaps a life drain spell on his slimy hide, and see how long it took to drain away a few years of his mid-begotten life?

Hold your temper, her conscience chided. You still need him, at least for now.

There will be time to answer slights later.

Avaryss silently acknowledged that fact.

She would be…patient…for now.

"Great Niro," Avaryss said respectfully, "I come here seeking an enemy of the Empire. One who has sponsored terrorist acts against my fellow Sith. The Rodian known as Goobik of the Republic Senate is believed to be here on Nal Hutta. I come on a mission of delivering him to imperial justice."

The Hutt did not wait for any translation from his servant; his booming voice again rang out in Huttese.

"She thinks me blind and dumb, this one. She is insolent, and lucky she stands for our friend Lord Feer. Tell the little Sith that we are aware of Vogga's pawn, servant. Tell her that she will need more that pretty words if she wishes to take this one's life.

The Hutt belched loudly.

"I doubt this piece of silken floss will survive ten minutes against Vogga's men. She will likely be left broken and lounging beside the old slug's throne, just like my pretties here."

"Great Niro has heard your master's request, and looked into the matter," Thom Istris informed her. "The one you seek is currently a guest of the illustrious Vogga, a powerful and well connected lord of the Hutt clans."

Istris bowed his head.

"Master Niro believes you will have some difficulty seeing to the man's punishment."

Avaryss' eyes narrowed, clearly the Hutt did not understand exactly who or what he was dealing with.

The Force granted many abilities. Even a powerful Hutt lord would be wise not to provoke her.

"Your master's concern is appreciated," Avaryss replied diplomatically, "I will use caution in dealing with this matter, but I will need to know where Representative Goobik can be found."

That is what my master paid for, yes?"

The Hutt laughed.

"The Sith whore thinks she will just waltz in and stick her lightsaber through him, is that it? Amusing! Tell her about the Rodian's trick, servant. Tell her why it will not be as easy as she thinks."

"Listen well, Sith," the major domo said, "We have learned through our sources that Representative Goobik is no fool."

The man pressed a button on his wrist guard, a hologram of a group of Rodians shimmered into existence between Avaryss and the Hutt.

The young Sith took notice of what she was seeing. Four Rodians, all dressed identically, all with the same type of skin, and surprisingly, the same facial markings.

"The Representative never travels alone," Istris continued, "He travels with a full company of bodyguards, plus three decoys. When the representative is travelling it is these decoys that that aid him in his work. They are said to be indistinguishable from their master, possessing the same mannerism, and vices, it is even said that they speak almost identically. Finding the real Representative will likely prove difficult."

Avaryss considered that. If what the Hutt said was true, then things just got tricky.

If she picked the wrong one, the real representative would get wind of what had happened and flee, leaving her with nothing for her trouble.

Despite his insolence, the Hutt was not wrong.

This hunt would not be easy.

"Does the great Niro have any ideas how to smoke out the _**real**_ representative," Avaryss inquired, "It would truly be a shame to come all this way and end up with nothing."

Niro licked his lips; he seemed a bit agitated; she thought she saw a flicker on his monocle, some kind of update from the data feed built in perhaps."

"It seems that the fortune smiles on Lord Feer's pawn," the Hutt said to his servant, "The gambit that we started after hearing from her lord has finally bore fruit, tell the girl what she must hear, servant, we will need to end this meeting quickly if we are to take full advantage."

"Lord Niro has anticipated your request and has seen to it," Thom Istris informed her, "A plan has been set in motion that will aid the Sith in her work here on Nal Hutta."

Avaryss listened as the Hutt's man outlined what he had done for her. Surprisingly, it was not that bad of a plan.

Niro had arranged for Vogga the Hutt to receive false reports of his off-world holdings being attacked. When word of this got back to him, the old Hutt would respond much as anyone would to be set upon by his enemies. He would lock down his holdings, and secure what he valued…including anyone who might be his guest at that time.

The Rodian Representative would fall into that category.

"Vogga has done this before Sith," Istris assured her, "When he does, he has also insisted on a complete communications black out, to ensure that no enemy could slice into his comm systems and give this forces false orders or misinformation. The blackout only ends when Vogga sends one of his lieutenants to make the rounds and inform the various captains that the danger has passed."

Istris smiled confidently.

"That should give you the time you need to…extract the one you seek."

Avaryss nodded.

If what the Hutt was telling her was the truth…?

It was possible.

It could work.

"How long would it take this Vogga to realize that he is being deceived? How long will this blackout last?"

"We can offer the Sith a ten hour window, no more. The Great Vogga's minions understand their lord's anger. They will work quickly. Time is credits to the Hutt clans. They will seek to restore order as fast as they can."

Then I will need to move fast, she thought.

"The splendid Niro has learned the location of four of the great Vogga's safe houses, here on Nal Hutta. I'm downloading it now to your data pad. You will find your prey there, both the representative, and his decoys."

"What kind of security force will the Great Vogga use?"

Soldiers culled from the ranks of his own forces," Istris assured her, "Such men should be no problem for a Sith, as for the Representative's personal guard, the Splendid Niro cannot say for sure about them."

"Tell the Sith child that she is on her own if she gets in trouble," Niro spat, "I will not waste my own men if she gets in trouble. She fails. She will be left to Vogga's mercies."

The Hutt chuckled.

"That will not be pleasant for her."

"The Mighty Niro is sad to inform you that he will not be able to offer aid if you get in trouble. Our own forces will be engaged elsewhere, and will not be able to come to your aid if you need it."

Avaryss smirked.

She had expected little else.

She suspected that Niro was using her to sell his own plan. When she attacked these safe houses, this Vogga the Hutt would believe that the reports he was getting from off world were real. If she failed Niro would no doubt throw her under the land speeder. Any blame would be shifted to the Sith Empire. It could threaten the treaties between the Hutts and the Emperor, but Avaryss did not think it would.

Darth Feer would not come to her aid either, if she was defeated by ones such as these. He would likely deem her unworthy of further training. He would not sacrifice his position in the Empire.

She was fine with that.

She had no intention of failing.

She also recognized the fact that she would not be able to leave any witnesses behind. If she picked the wrong safe house and found only a decoy, she would need to slay him and everyone else there. It was the best way to ensure that the treaty between the Hutts and the Sith remained intact.

She would use the Force to try and pick the right one, but that could be chancy, the will of the Force was not always the will of the Sith that wielded it.

Avaryss' eyes narrowed.

If she picked wrong, she would need to slay everyone, not just the guards, but the servants and their families as well, if any existed there.

Such a realization would have daunted her in the past, but now…now…

Avaryss smiled.

The bloodletting back on Hoth had caused a stirring in her blood. The darkside had awoken fully during that raid. If it did so again here, she would not turn away from it. She would embrace its power.

She was looking forward to it.

"Inform the mighty Niro that he has my thanks. Now, I shall gather my forces," she informed the Hutt's lackey, "We shall begin the attacks immediately."

The Hutt laughed and rumbled a response.

"Hopefully the whore does not march to her death," Niro cackled, "It would be a shame to waste such pretty flesh."

"The Great Niro wishes you good hunting, Sith," his man said, "May your enemies fall before you."

Avaryss chuckled.

"Don't worry," she said with a slight bow.

"They will."


	42. Thug or Lord

**Chapter 42: Thug or Lord**

Four.

Avaryss glared down at the Rodian, the creature lay on the ground whimpering, holding the stump that had once been its right hand. Her lightsaber had cauterized the wound, but that did not change the fact that the alien had been left in exquisite pain.

Good, she thought.

Sadly it was the only thing she could take pleasure in in this moment. Four of Vogga the Hutt's safe houses had they raided. Four sets of guards they had fought through, both the Hutt's men and the representative's. This final strike should have been the end of her mission here; Representative Goobik should have been on his knees before her, begging for his life.

That had not occurred; it seemed that Niro the Hutt's information had been wrong.

_Three_ decoys he had said, _three_ lookalikes that that Representative traveled with, she had already killed three…

…Yet now…she had discovered a fourth.

She finally cornered the fool in the main office of the casino where he had tried to hide. The place had been cleared of any customers before the attack had begun; meaning that Avaryss and her crew had only needed to deal with the remaining thugs and guards the Hutt had trusted to watch over this place.

They had not been enough, and neither had the representative's final decoy.

He had fared no better than his fellows.

The first three had fought with their men, using blasters to try and stop the Sith and her people's advance. Rodia was a world of hunters and vicious clan politics. The decoys had apparently all been recruited from within the Representatives own clan, and they had no problem dying if it meant taking an enemy with them. In fact, they considered such a death an honor, slaying for kith and clan, that sort of romantic nonsense. When confronted with defeat, the decoys had tried to set off the suicide vests they had been wearing, nasty little tricks, rigging them with explosives, turning them into living frag mines, the first had been a surprise, after that, Avaryss and her crew had become more cautious and dealt with the Rodian's people accordingly.

She had expected this last Rodian _**not**_ to be wearing one. She had expected that a Republic politician would not throw away his life so recklessly.

She had been surprised. The creature had tried to blow himself up and to take her with him. Only by removing his hand had she prevented both their deaths. It was only as he lay at her feet, cradling his damaged arm that he confessed that he was not the real Representative Goobik either.

He was just another decoy.

Four of them she thought, her temper boiling beneath the surface.

_Where in the Emperor's name is the __**real**__ one! _

In fact, what was a representative of the Republic even doing here in the first place?! The four safe houses doubled as business interests that your typical Republic-type would not have wanted to be linked with. The first had been a spice processing center, the second an armory storing chemical weapons, the third had been a slave market, and the fourth a brothel and gambling hall.

She had not expected the so-called freedom loving Republic to wish to be linked with such…_enterprises._ Then again, it was not like they had much choice, did they? The Republic needed Hutt support as much as the Empire did.

_How far would the Empire go to secure the Hutts' __**continued**__ cooperation?_

She glared down at the wounded decoy, eager to begin questioning him, wanting to find out where the real Representative Goobik was.

She did not get the chance.

The Force shifted suddenly, she was almost overwhelmed by a sense of foreboding. She was just about to order her crew to fall back when Rink rushed into the room. The former street rat radiated panic and fear.

_What now,_ she almost growled.

Rink, gasping for breath, informed her.

"We're in trouble, boss," he wheezed, "The Hutt that owns this place, Vogga, I think his name is, he is outside with his boys, and he does not look happy."

Avaryss frowned.

No.

How was that even possible?

They were under a communications blackout, Lord Niro had given them a ten hour window; they had used about six and a half. They should have had almost three hours remaining. The blackout should still have been in effect, neither she nor her people had left any survivors at their first three stops.

How could the Hutt have gotten here so fast?

How could he have known?

Quenya fussed over Rink while Beric made for the door, making sure that the Hutt's men had not followed Rink in here, or were setting up an ambush when they emerged.

Ever the soldier, her big brother took point, and tried to take charge.

"How many are there, Rink," he demanded.

"All of them, I think," he said wiping idly at his mouth, "Several hundred at least."

Avaryss frowned.

Several hundred of the Hutt's enforcers…

…How would they get out here?

She looked around at her crew, her people. Rink was glancing around the room quickly, perhaps seeking some bolt hole, or secret escape route. Avaryss feared that there was none, if there had been, the decoy would have used it.

Beric radiated a grim acceptance, as a soldier, he had been prepared to face death on the battlefield, even with the odds so stacked against them, she doubted that her big brother would go down without taking at least some of the Hutt's bully-boys with him.

Quenya shook her head, Avaryss sensed only regret from her new convert, once again Avaryss thought she made a mistake bringing her along, perhaps she simply should have slain the girl with her fellows back in that Jedi enclave.

The Devish looked at her, her expression one of sadness.

"And now," she sighed, "We are being dead."

Avaryss' fingers curled into angry fists.

No.

The reaction of her people disgusted her.

No.

Were they facing certain death? It was possible, but at the same time…

NO!

She felt something else not regret, acceptance, or fear, no, Avaryss felt something else.

She felt rage, cold all-annihilating rage!

Betrayal, she thought.

We have been betrayed.

As an acolyte she had been lied to from the very beginning, her master had manipulated her from the very moment she had first chosen to join the Sith order as a hopeful.

She had yet to be able to reward him for that, and now all that rage returned, only now it was Niro and the Hutts that it was directed at.

Her eyes blazed with red flame.

Niro had lied to them. He had lied about the decoys, and he had lied about the blackout. Somehow Vogga had gotten a message that his interests on Nar Shadda were under attack. Either Niro was a bigger fool than her master thought, or he was playing a different game all together.

Perhaps he had even warned Vogga that they were coming? Perhaps this was all some ruse to make him look better before the rest of his fellow Hutts. Perhaps he had accepted a better offer from one of their enemies, if not a rival Sith, perhaps from a member of the conspiracy. Perhaps they wished to terminate the Sith's non-aggression treaty with the Hutt clans, which would happen when word got back that a Sith had killed a top Hutt crime lord, and that would happen, she thought.

Vogga would not enjoy this victory oh no.

He and many of his men were about to die.

The room itself began to darken; her rage was like a building storm. It was a hungry predator ready to be unleashed.

You know the words, the darkness within whispered, you know the spell. The death field…you can use the death field. You can consume them all!

The idea did have merit, as her rage continued to build the Force opened up to her, the dark side showing her several possible futures, what would come to pass if she did this, or rather what was likely to come to pass.

None of the visions she saw pleased her.

She died in almost every vision she saw, usually taking this Vogga with her. In the visions where she did survive she escaped alone, her crew dying in the very inferno she had unleashed to destroy her enemies. Yet, even in victory, Avaryss did not come out a winner. She seemed to always emerge with her body maimed or broken, forced to rely on cybernetics to survive.

Her crimson eyes narrowed.

Even if she was successful, even if the death field did its work, some of the Hutt's scum would escape, they would return to the fallen lord's fellows, and the Sith would lose the Hutts forever. They would join the Republic not out of a desire for profit, but for revenge, or rather as an excuse to take revenge.

It doesn't matter, the darkness within whispered, all that matters is the death of your enemies! You will drown in their blood and they will know fear. If you must die do it with your teeth sunk into an enemy's throat.

Slay them all.

Slay everyone who dares oppose you!

Feed the darkness!

Avaryss was tempted. It would be so easy simply to let go and give in to her appetite for destruction. She could easily lay waste to all before her. Part of her wanted that, to go out in a blaze of fire and retribution. She…she…

Avaryss took a deep breath and blew it out, with it went any thought of suicide and taking as many of her enemies with her.

No.

She would not give in.

No.

What she was considering now were the actions of a common thug, a mere enforcer. She inspired to be more than that, she had to become more than that.

A thug would seek to die fighting, a lord…a lord would find a way to turn this to her advantage.

In that moment, if felt…changed, like she had reached yet another plateau in her training. The fury and rage was still there, but now she had found the height and perspective to be able to look down on it, to consider other options that had nothing to do with lashing out recklessly.

We are in danger, that is true, she thought.

But there were alternatives to fighting. The prepared mind aided by the Force could do much.

She smiled slightly.

She intended to test that theory.

She removed her helmet, and looked at her crew in turn; she could see it in their eyes. They hoped that she had come up with some type of plan.

She had, now all that remained was to see if the Hutt would listen.

"What are we doing, boss?" Rink asked.

"You are following me," she said confidently, "Make no sudden moves; give the Hutt's fools no reason to attack us without order.

She marched out of the office, pausing only briefly to consider her next move.

"Lieutenant Lylos," she said coldly, "Bring the decoy; he has a part to play in this."

"Yes, my lord," her brother said with a curt nod, she did not bother to look over her shoulder; Beric would do as he was ordered. As she had thought earlier, he was a good soldier to the end.

Now it was all up to her, she needed to convince an angry Hutt to buy what she was selling. If it worked there was a chance they might all get out of here alive.

If not…well…none of them would be alive to know what came next.

IOI

The emerged from the casino to find the Hutt's army well entrenched around it, Hutt hover skiffs filled the skies, loaded down with dozens of soldiers and mercenaries.

Avaryss could feel their eyes upon her, but in that moment, she only hand eyes for one, the largest of the skiff's the one floating before her, just out of range should she have tried to throw her lightsaber.

Vogga the Hutt's skiff, the slug-like crime lord was huge, he easily dwarfed Niro and any of the Hutts she had seen in passing on the way down here, though the force she felt nothing but cold rage, but that was not surprising, Hutts were known to be immune to mind manipulation. The fact that she could feel anything at all suggested just how enrage the old slug was.

It would not take much to provoke him into giving the order to slaughter them all.

She needed to tread lightly.

The Hutt growled something in Huttese, the small silver protocol droid standing next to him translated.

"You stand in the presence of the might Vogga," the droid's amplified voice rang out, "High lord of the Hutt cartel, and master of the space ways. He has only one question for you, you who have transgressed so greatly on his personage this day. Tell me, little Sith how do you wish to die?"

Avaryss could feel her crew at her back, if it did come to a fight they would do their best, but that was not what she wanted, if it did come to a fight. They were lost.

No, she needed to do something different.

"How do I wish to die?" she repeated dryly, "How about asleep in my own bed, at some obscene old age, that would be nice."

Her answer threw the Hutt off his game; she sensed confusion, though it quickly faded, his rage reasserting itself.

When he spoke again, it was not using his translator, this time he addressed her himself.

"Your humor does not amuse me, Sith," Vogga growled in guttural basic, "You have attacked my interests and slain, my men. I will know why, and then I will see you answer for it."

Avaryss nodded, a bit surprised if she had to be honest; so the big slugs could speak galactic basic if they had to, the fact that Vogga would address her in such a way was proof that he was taking this matter seriously.

At least he had not ordered the attack, not yet, anyway.

"I fear that we have both been manipulated, mighty one," she continued, "I came here to neutralize an enemy of the Empire, a Rodian worm who hides behind the Republic Senate."

She smiled grimly.

"I suspect that he did not simply desire a business meeting with you. I think he had another agenda."

Vogga growled like a barely contained animal, he continued to pin her with his cold gaze.

Yet, he did not give the order for his men to open fire. Despite his desire to see her punished, he held his temper in check, for now.

"You came for the Representative? Why? What has this underling done to warrant such a response from the Empire?"

"As I said, he had sponsored terrorist acts against the Sith Empire; in fact, I'm starting to think that his mission here might have been part of those acts, if his grandness will allow me to explain?"

Another pause, she could not really see the Hutt's face, but she was guessing that he was considering what she was saying.

Avaryss held back a smile.

Yes, she thought.

Thanks to the dark side, she finally thought she understood exactly what was going on here.

The representative's meeting with Vogga had nothing to do with Republic interests, not in the usual way. By now, the conspiracy knew that someone within the Empire was hunting them, and perhaps had seen an opportunity to act. Goobik had sent in his decoy's hoping to provoke a Sith Response. A response that Vogga the Hutt would be forced to answer in kind. The temper and vengeful nature of the Hutts was legendary. No doubt the conspiracy had hoped for Avaryss and Vogga to go with their knee jerk reaction and try to annihilate each other.

Not that the Hutt's had knees of course, but that was neither here nor there.

The conspirators had wanted blood between the Sith and Hutts, by denying that, she was denying them their victory, that pleased Avaryss greatly.

When the Hutt finally responded, much of the anger had gone out of his words, he was still enraged, but his mind was working.

"What does the representative have to say for himself," Vogga asked, "What does he think of all this?"

"Can't say," Avaryss shrugged, "the one we found here was a decoy, the others too."

Hearing that; it did provoke a reaction.

Avaryss felt a brief wave of surprise from the Hutt.

"**All** decoys?" he said.

"Yes," Avaryss responded.

"All **four?**"

"So it seems."

The leaned back, a single "hoo" sound emerging from the loudspeaker.

He did not know, she realized.

Now things were starting to get interesting.

"A simple genetic scan should verify what I'm saying, great one."

The Hutt paused, when she spoke again, his voice was not as cold.

"Why would the Representative send only decoys?" the Hutt said, "Why would he not come himself?"

"Perhaps what is happening here is why," she said.

"Explain," the Hutt said.

"The information given me about the Representative was off. Perhaps whoever is truly behind this was hoping to lure both of us into a trap. Perhaps we were meant to blindly attack each other, to destroy each other. Perhaps some mutual enemy or rival gains an advantage in having the two of us out of the way, or perhaps this was all some scheme to end the working relationship between the Empire and the cartel? I can see either being a possibility."

She might have been wrong, but she thought the Hutt may have nodded.

Avaryss fought back the urge to giggle.

If the conspiracy had been behind this, they had made a mistake. Older Hutts were not always as hot tempered as their younger counterparts. She had angered Vogga, that is true, but he was at least willing to listen, he was curious of what she had to say.

That curiosity may have saved all their lives.

Vogga made some sweeping gesture with his hand. All around them, the soldiers that had been targeting Avaryss and her crew began to stand down. They were not withdrawing, but she felt a lowering of the aggression. The safeties of the various blasters being pointed their way were being clicked on.

Vogga's skiff approached, Avaryss and her crew did not move as the Hutt's transport touched down in front of them. The Hutt lowered the microphone he was holding; he no longer had need for it. Not when he was meeting with Avaryss face to face.

"You have attacked my businesses," he said flatly.

"I do not deny that," she shrugged.

"A large pudgy hand came up and pointed right at her.

"You will make this right."

"Of course, mighty one," she said bowing slightly, "I could offer you credits but that might seem insulting for one as fabulously wealthy as yourself."

She smiled.

"I have other resources, of course, one that I will offer to you now, as a show of good will."

"And that is?" the Hutt sniffed.

Careful not to make any sudden movements, Avaryss hand dipped to her belt, and drew a small remote control, she held it up for the Hutt's inspection.

"What is this?" he asked, though from the slight narrowing of his eyes, she suspected he already knew.

"It is a detonator, my lord; it is connected to the explosives that I set in your other safe houses. I press the red button, and those buildings will cease to exist."

The Hutt scowled.

"And you admit this to my face, why?"

"To show you that I'm willing to discuss this matter sensibly, I killed your men, yes, but the various weapons, spice and…other commodities are safe, and will remain so once I've given you this detonator."

"You would not destroy my property?" he said, sounding skeptical.

"Only if I have to."

"And what of the men you slew?"

"Easily replaceable for one as powerful and wealthy as the might Vogga," she answered, "Consider it another matter that we should discuss like sensible beings."

The Hutt nodded thoughtfully, no doubt weighing his options.

Avaryss bowed her head.

Vogga licked his slimy lips with his large wet tongue.

"I have ruled for several centuries Sith. I will not do my enemy's work for them."

"I'm pleased to hear that, my lord," she said, "So how shall we proceed? Do we fight, or do we talk business?"

She continued to hold out the detonator to Vogga. If he did not take it…?

…she knew how this story, her story would end.

The Hutt looked at the detonator and back at her, several times did he do this; finally, he reached out and took the detonator.

He laughed, a booming…"HOO! HOO! HOO!" sound.

"I like this one, she is my kind of scum," The Hutt cackled, "She offers peace while at the same time shows the damage she could do. I can respect that."

The Hutt nodded.

"You shall join me on my sail barge, little Sith. We shall discuss this matter as reasonable beings. We shall decide how you can make this right."

"Gladly, might Vogga," Avaryss said bowing again, "Once again, the wisdom and power of the Hutt clans is on display for all to see."

Vogga chuckled and gestured for her to join him.

The Hutt barked into the loudspeaker, his soldiers began to fully stand down, lowering their weapons. A second skiff touched down and the soldiers on board disembarked, making way for Avaryss's crew to follow their master back to his sail barge. These soldiers would no doubt secure the casino the Sith had just left, make sure she had not planted any explosives here.

They need not have worried.

In this, she had been a being of her word.

Avaryss watched at the Hutt handed the detonator to one of his bodyguards the man quickly disabled it. Two others seized the Rodian decoy and dragged him aboard Vogga's skiff.

The Hutt glared down at the alien, clearly not pleased with being manipulated.

Avaryss smirked.

_I've crossed a threshold today_, she thought. _She remained her master's apprentice, __**his**__ sword, but she was also starting to understand that the darkside was not all about crushing ones enemies_.

_Being a lord was not about ruling the weak, it was about knowing how to talk with the strong, too make them obey you, to make them see that it was in their best interest to do so._

It was a piece in a much larger puzzle, a puzzle that, once solved, would lead to her ascension.

She was pleased.

Yes she would have to give the Hutt something in payment for his slain men, but so what?

She had out maneuvered her enemies, and escaped what should have been a death trap.

She couldn't wait to tell her master.

She had grown today.

She was eager to face her next challenge.

I'm ready she thought.

Bring it on!


	43. Expendable

**Chapter 43: Expendable**

"We will be able to leave Nal Hutta tomorrow, just as soon as the last bit of Lord Vogga's payment arrives."

Avaryss tried to keep her tone light, which was not hard given the circumstances.

_Say what you would about the Hutts, if you were able to get on one's good side, they knew how to take care of you._

"Good," Warmaster Feore said nodding, his hologram shimmered slightly, interference from yet another fast moving storm.

Avaryss smiled.

She was grateful that it was the Warmaster who had taken her call. Lord Feer would have asked questions about just what Lord Vogga's final payment was, and how Avaryss had acquired the means to pay it.

It did not really matter in the long run, as she had told the Hutt, she was not without her resources, a Sith could not survive without a powerbase, and though it was small, Avaryss' was growing.

She could afford to let go of some of it, in the interest of continued stability of course.

For the last three days she and her crew had been guests of the might Vogga. She had been able to conclude her negotiations with the Hutt early on in her first day here, which meant she had had some time to enjoy the wealth and privilege that those in the Hutts' favor enjoyed.

Currently she was lounging by a pool on one several terraces that dotted Vogga's palace, while one of Vogga's servants fanned her from behind, with the exception of Beric; her crew joined her in this brief period of rest and relaxation. Her brother preferred to remain on guard, serving as her bodyguard, still armed and armored, just in case this was some type of trick. She warned him that it was unnecessary; her Force abilities would give them ample warning should things turn ugly, but he insisted.

My dear big brother, she thought fondly.

It was nice to know that he cared so about her welfare.

Rink and Holli were currently swimming, using one of the clear blue water pools the Hutts kept reserved for off world clients. The pools used by the Hutts themselves tended to be more stagnant and swampy. Within an hour of their arrival, Vogga's minions had prepared much for their amusement and comfort. The Hutts thought of everything when it came to an honored guest, which Avaryss and company, apparently, now were, considering how generous she had been in "making things right" between the Hutt and herself. Food, clothing, even…other pleasures were on offer, the Hutts were nothing if not generous to their important guests.

Avaryss had been polite, but chose not to indulge gluttonously, cautioning her fellows to do the same. Despite Vogga's seemingly free-handed nature, Hutts could be duplicitous; she had no desire to give him anything that he might use to blackmail her later.

No, the most risqué pleasure she had enjoyed since coming here was sunning herself by the pool. The two piece swim suit the Hutt's servant provided the most lavish thing she had accepted. Not that she was in any danger of tanning. The darkside had a tendency leech the color from her skin. Quenya wore something similar; thought Avaryss did note the slight discomfort the former Jedi felt in simply indulging.

_Too many years of serving others had made the girl shy when it came to life's pleasures_, Avaryss realized.

She would need to let go of that shyness, simply letting go and enjoying life was but one pleasure of being Sith.

The Devish girl would come to understand that, in time.

Quenya lay in a lounging chair next to her, asleep beneath the warm sun. Which was fine, she preferred to speak with Warmaster Feore unhindered.

"Have you heard any condemnation from the Hutt council?' the old pure blood asked.

"Nothing that I've heard. Lord Vogga is willing to let this matter remain a personal one, just as the payment that I offered was."

Avaryss chuckled.

"I get the feeling the old creature does not wish to share his new gains with his fellow Hutts."

The old pure blood nodded, but still did not look pleased.

"I trust the payment was no too unpleasant," Feore said frowning, "Hutts have…dark appetites, I trust you were not to do anything you were uncomfortable with.

She almost laughed at that.

Darth Feer would not have cared what she had to do, as long as the non-aggression treaty was maintained. It was touching that old Feore cared, but Avaryss was not the type to dwell on such sentiment. Emotion was useful only when it fueled her power, or helped her gain what she needed, either from an ally or an adversary.

"It was no problem, not at all," she said dismissively, "We reached an understanding quickly, now all is forgiven."

It had not been that simple of course, but she did not see the need to bore the Warmaster with the details. He likely thought that she had needed to perform some task for the Hutt, take out a rival perhaps, or steal something that his organization required.

She had not needed to be so…mundane, not with the tools and resources at her disposal.

IOI

1A-K3 had come through for her when she needed him. All she had needed to do was contact him, and he was ready to assist. By using his contacts and her silent position as head of TCS she had had no trouble in seeing Lord Vogga's needs tended to. Some new service droids for his businesses, a new set of droid brains for her starship, she had offered him access to both at a low flat rate. In the end, he paid half of what such things would have cost him on the open market, black or otherwise. Plus, between her private credit accounts and the few contacts that Lackey had cultivated, things had been handled quickly. Lord Vogga, surprised by how quickly she had gotten things done, realized that she was more than simply a mere apprentice, or a sword for hire. He now sought to cultivate her favor, perhaps seeing her as a Sith on the move, on the way up.

_Perhaps I am at that_, she thought.

_I've certainly grown since my days on Korriban, both in power and prestige, now people were starting to take notice._

_Such a rise would only make things easier as she continued to climb the ranks of the order._

Once they had dealt with the matter of the attack on Vogga's business interests, Avaryss and the Hutt had been free to deal with the matters that had first brought her here to Nal Hutta, namely a certain Republic stooge.

The first thing they had done was deal with the matter of Representative Goobik, Vogga was not pleased that the man had chosen to use a decoy in their dealings. The Hutt had used his contacts at the spaceport to make sure that the man's ship was unable to leave the planet, once that was done, he had arranged to have the ship checked, a **safety** inspection, Avaryss had been informed, something that no one would dispute, or cry diplomatic immunity when the Hutt's inspectors went on board.

The search had proven fruitful, namely the discovery of the real Representative Goobik, who proved quickly that he was not as brave as his decoys had been. He had bellowed loudly until Lord Vogga threatened him not only with an end to diplomatic relations between the Hutts and Republic, but also the threat of a more…thorough Hutt questioning.

That had been all it took.

Despite the protection the Rodian enjoyed as a representative of the senate, he had wasted no time in pleading for his life.

Avaryss had enjoyed the display.

He confessed openly that he was not here on official Senate business, that he had been contacted by a third party, one who had desired to see…issues develop between the Cartel and the Empire. The Rodian claimed not to know any names, but could say without a doubt that the Hutt Niro had been involved.

Neither Vogga nor Avaryss had been surprised, considering that it was Niro who had brought them together. Vogga had assured her that he would have words with his fellow Hutt, painful words. Avaryss offered her aid, but the Lord Vogga had refused.

"This is a Hutt matter," he informed her, "An internal problem, we shall deal with it."

She had accepted that, it would not do to insult her host, not after they had just gotten their other matters settled.

As for the representative, he was to be expelled from the planet. He had come here under false pretenses, and would not be allowed to return. He might have suffered worse, but that had been part of the deal struck between Sith and Hutt. Goobik needed to be returned home, with the name that Darth Baras had given to Avaryss on his lips of course.

She still needed the information that Baras had learned, hopefully it would be worth everything she had faced here.

It was a shame that Goobik had not known who had put him up to this. All the Rodian had known is that the mission had come through the diplomatic service, no name attached, but in the end it mattered not.

Whoever had put the representative up to this would know that the Sith knew. It was only a matter of time until another name found its way into the Empire's hands.

It might not even take **that **much, Avaryss realized, if the recording Baras offered did name the lead conspirator, or one of his underlings, so much the better.

Every step drew them closer to the one behind all this, and as they drew closer, whoever was behind this would likely start to panic and trip, and when they did…

…Avaryss would be there to catch them.

IOI

"So…it seems that Niro the Hutt was not as trustworthy as we thought."

"An understatement, Warmaster," Avaryss smirked, "Unfortunately for us, he fled before Lord Vogga's men could bring him in, it would have been nice to question the little slug, see who put him up to trying to stop us."

"Do you have any ideas?" the old pure blood asked.

"Could be anyone, a rival Hutt, another Sith trying to turn the conspiracy to their advantage, could even have been another revenge plot by Darth Terrog. He could still be trying to pay us back for that business on the Wreck."

"It is possible," Feore agreed, "It could also have been the masterminds behind this conspiracy. Who knows how much pull they have in the Republic Senate?"

"We will know soon enough," Avaryss promised, "I will take that information myself, when my blade finds the lead conspirators throat."

Feore chuckled.

"Do not be so eager child; we still have a long way to go. Your master has been summoned to Korriban. Several members of the dark council have grown curious about our investigation. They will no doubt have questions about Niro the Hutt's involvement."

The old pure blood smiled.

"Fortunately, we have something to offer, before you left for Nal Hutta, we managed to decipher several messages from the carrier signal your early work uncovered. Niro's name was mentioned several times. The fact that he has betrayed you will go a long way to convincing the council that this conspiracy is more of a threat than they realized."

Avaryss digested that information, any sense of relaxation she had been feeling drained away.

She lowered her sunglass down her nose so she could look over their rims, her burning eyes pinned Warmaster Feore with a cold stare.

"You knew," she said flatly, "You knew that Niro was involved with the conspiracy?"

"His name had been mentioned several times, yes."

Her frown deepened.

"So you and my master sent me here, knowing that I might be walking into a trap, and you didn't even think to tell me?"

Feore expression changed, it became harder colder.

"You disapprove young one?"

"Should I not?" she demanded, "I could have been killed or maimed."

"You could have, that is true."

"So you don't think that I should have known? I am Darth Feer's _apprentice_, his **heir**. You don't think that I…"

The hard expression on the old Sith's face stopped her in her tracks, both that and the growing anger she was feeling through the Force. He had never displayed any anger at it her before. Feore had served House Feer loyally for years; it was not hard to see that he might not approve of a mere apprentice questioning his master's orders.

"Are you quite done mewling, girl?" he said coldly.

She did not respond with words, merely nodded.

"Good," the pureblood said, despite your recent successes, or perhaps in spite of them, you seem to have forgotten what role it is you hold in House Feer. You are not a lord, child; you are your master's apprentice, his fist and sword. You are his weapon, first, one day you may prove yourself worthy of being his successor, but you have not done that, not yet. If it is in his best interest to see you broken for the continued welfare of this House, it will be done."

Her own temper began to flare then.

"So you think that I'm expendable?"

"What else would you be?"

His harsh words stopped her cold.

_He…he…_

_How __**dare **__he?!_

"If you had been slain, it would have been proof that you were not worthy of continuing your journey as a member of this house, that is way of the dark side, the way of the Sith. If you are defeated, you are cast down and forgotten. As one who trained on Korriban, you should have **never **forgotten that lesson, girl. You asked if you were expendable, how could you forget that you were anything but…."

Feore pinned her with a cold glare.

"You forget your place, child."

Avaryss was grateful that he could only see her head and shoulders, he could not see the tension in her body, and how her hands had curled into angry fists. It took all of her mental discipline to keep her emotions in check.

_Expendable am I?_

_Expendable!_

She had expected such feelings from her master, but not Feore, never Feore.

She had always been fond of the old man, hearing him talk like this was both shocking and hurtful.

"After everything that I've done for our family, is that truly what you believe, Warmaster?"

"My own personal feelings are irrelevant," he said, "Any fondness I feel for you child must be held in check, my first duty is to Lord Feer and his house, do not doubt that or think otherwise."

_And what was that supposed to mean?_ She wondered.

Did he hope that she would survive, had he been forbidden from warning her?

She found herself thinking back to one of her first teachers, the blade master Adaz. He had also put her into a position where she had almost been killed. She had been furious with him at the time, but eventually came to see how that treatment had been part of a necessary lesson.

Could this be the same?

Could the Warmaster be offering her a bit of tough love, reminding her exactly what it meant to be Sith?

It was…possible.

She sighed and forced herself to calm down.

"I will keep what you have said in mind, Warmaster. In the meantime, have we heard anything from Darth Baras? I delivered the message he requested, and now he owes me a translation key."

"We have heard nothing here on Dromund Kaas," Feore assured her, "In the meantime; your master has a new target he wants you to investigate. There is a small space station between here and Hutt space, Lord Feer would like you to go there, and if any threat exists…end it."

"It will be done," she promised, "Do we have any idea why this station maybe important?"

"It could be nothing," Feore said, "But our agents did manage to intercept several transmissions between Niro the Hutt and the crew operating that station. It could be in our best interests to check it out."

"It will be done, Warmaster," she said coldly, efficiently, she could not say if she would be able to feel any affection for the old man again.

Now, cold was better, if was safer than feeling hurt.

"See that you do," the old pure blood said, "We will speak again after you have investigated the station, Feore out."

The hologram faded to nothingness.

Avaryss sat there for a few moments staring at the holo-communicator.

It took all her self-control not to crush the device into junk.

_Expendable._

_Know your place, child._

_You forget your place, girl._

Oh, if Feore only knew…

If he only knew?

Right now, she was just an apprentice, but a day would come when that would not be so.

She had hoped that Feore would be smart and side with winner when the day came that she dealt with her master. Now…she was not so sure, now she could not say for certain if it would not be better to tear down the whole sorry mess and start again from scratch.

"He is being wrong."

Avaryss blinked.

She had been so distracted by Feore she had not realized that Quenya had woken. The Devish girl was looking right at her, concern radiating through the Force.

Avaryss found herself wondering how much of her conversation that the former Jedi had heard.

Did it really matter?

Who knew what Quenya would think of what had passed between the two Sith.

The Devish say up and removed her sunglasses, when she looked at Avaryss her dull yellow eyes radiated a sense of…awe…and confusion.

What was this now? The young Sith wondered.

"The old man is being wrong," she said, "You are not being expendable. You are being our leader. You are being a hero of the Empire."

Avaryss smiled.

"I'm surprised to hear you say that, given our history.

The alien girl shrugged.

"You told me that I am needing to decide what it is that I want. If I'm to be surviving among you and yours, I suspect that you are being right about that. I am being curious thought; I am having a question, if you are being willing to indulge me."

"I'm willing," Avaryss said, "Ask your question."

The Devish nodded.

"What is it that you are wanting, Master Avaryss? What is it that is driving you?"

Avaryss almost laughed at that.

The girl's use of the term _master_ was not entirely accurate, but she allowed it. She was not Quenya's master, but she **was** guiding her.

Once she became a full lord, that would likely change.

"What do I want," Avaryss said, "A great many things, dear Quenya."

"Please be telling me about them."

Avaryss shrugged.

"I wish to be a lord," she began, "I want to become a full Darth one day. I wish to become one of the most powerful Sith in the galaxy, and the most powerful sorceress in the Empire. I wish to see the Empire endure and become everything that I believe it can become. I wish…"

Avaryss stopped right there. She had almost said that she wished to sit on the Imperial Throne. Such words were not smart to speak out loud. Despite being absence from public life, the Emperor was all-powerful and all knowing. Too many Sith had perished over the years believing that he was not, and that he could not see the lust for power in their hearts.

She was not ready to take the risk, even here on Nal Hutta. The very moment she said the words aloud meant that she was committed to grand treason. As long as the Emperor lived and reigned, she could not afford to speak those words.

The Emperor was immortal, or so the Sith believed, to throw him off would mean to prove that belief wrong. She found herself thinking about her vision, her as a very old woman, sitting on the throne.

Could it be that the Emperor was not as immortal or as invulnerable as she had been raised to believe?

Did she dare take that risk?

Maybe it was her Imperial upbringing, either that or simply the tales that she had heard whispered about the Emperor since she was a baby in the cradle.

Whatever it was, she remained cautious.

If it was her destiny to rule, the Force would guide her to where she needed to be.

"I wish for my star to rise," she finally said, "I want what is best for the Empire, and for me."

_And if I'm what makes the Empire the best, so be it_, she left unsaid.

She _loved _the Empire.

Who better to rule it one day?

The Devish girl nodded, Avaryss could not say if she truly understood, but it was coming to that understanding that made things so important.

Understanding one's desires were the first step on the dark path.

"You have been surprising me, master Avaryss," Quenya said, "I thought we were all being dead when Vogga the Hutt had us surrounded. Yet, you were wise enough to find us a way out of this, without killing anyone."

"Knowing when not to use your power is almost as important as knowing how to use it," she replied, "Rule is not always about being heavy handed."

"Exactly," the Devish girl said smiling, "I am thinking that your master is not understanding that about you. I was always being told that the Sith were animals, that they always turned their thoughts inward, thinking only about themselves."

"The Sith are not the only ones who care about the power they wield," she informed the girl, "Think back about what we have seen here. If this conspiracy we are investigating is being led by a Jedi, do you think that such a movement is completely motivated by selflessness, or are these Jedi thinking about themselves seeking to ensure that their power does not slip away as the Empire rises."

"There is being wisdom in what you say," Quenya admitted.

She smiled again.

"You are not being what I thought you were. You can be cruel, but it is not being the only thing that you are. You are protecting those that fight beside you, and do not think to be wasting the lives under your command."

_I don't wish to break my own tools_, Avaryss thought, but did not say that to Quenya.

If what she believed help bring the girl along to her side, so much the better.

Let her believe what she wished, as long as it kept her going down the dark path, eventually she would not be able to stop.

Eventually, she would not wish to stop.

"I am starting to think that you might be what is right for the Empire. The Sith are being about emotion, yes? You draw on your power for strength, why cannot be positive emotions that you draw on?"

"An interesting question," Avaryss agreed, in fact it was something she had considered herself…once.

"Anger and hate are strong emotions, easily turned into power.

"And in dealing with enemies useful, by why can it not be that positive emotions can be used when dealing with allies? Love, comradery, are these not being passions as well? Could it not be possible to use those emotions? Could you not being turning to those as a source of power?"

Avaryss listened, and found herself surprised by what she was hearing. In many ways, Quenya was mimicking the early feelings of Keera Lylos. Before Avaryss had faced her first trial of blood, she had believed that her love for her family and her desire to see Darth Feer punished would be the driving force in her life.

Eventually she was taught to disregard such thoughts, rage and vengefulness had drew her deeper down the dark path. What Keera Lylos had thought seemed foolish.

And now, here was Quenya repeating the same ideas. Perhaps the girl thought that she could change Avaryss, and through her the Empire?

You can use this, the darkness whispered.

If the Devish believes you are working to reform the Empire, to move it away from the power of anger and hate, why not play that game? In time she will come around, just as Keera did…

…In time, she will come to see the folly of such sentiment.

Avaryss almost smiled, she had been questioning her decision to bring the girl along, now she knew that her instincts had been right.

The girl was coming along, she just needed to tread carefully and guide her down the familiar path.

She would come around, and then…the darkside would claim a new disciple.

"Anything is possible," she said with a shrug, "Perhaps you are right Quenya, perhaps…I could try, and in doing so make the Empire a better place.

The Devish grinned.

"Then you are having my support," she said, "I will be following you, aiding you, and together…we shall be bringing positive change to the Empire."

Avaryss laughed.

"Careful there Quenya," she said, "Such ambitions could lead to the dark side."

The alien girl smirked.

"How can one advance without ambition, with their being some desire to succeed?"

"Well said," Avaryss nodded, "Well said indeed."

"It is what will be making me a hero, yes?

"Yes," the young Sith agreed.

Quenya was coming along fine it seemed. She wanted to be a hero, Avaryss could use that.

It would draw her deeper down the dark path, that desire would eventually turn into obsession, and then…the dark side would have her.

_And if not a hero_, she thought privately, basking in the growing darkness within her companion.

_It __**will**__ make you mine._

Avaryss was eager to see that day arrive.

One step closer to making the girl my servant, and the more servants she gained, the greater her powerbase would be.

Feore was wrong,

I'm not expendable Warmaster, she thought, my power is growing, and soon you will see, you and my master.

She smiled slightly.

They would all see…they would see…

…and they would tremble.


	44. Naughty

**Chapter 44: Naughty**

"Here goes nothing."

They had left Nal Hutta behind. After another brief conversation with Vogga the Hutt, Avaryss and her crew once again found their way back into the void of space. The young Sith was back on mission for her master.

It was a mission she was eager to complete.

Avaryss and her crew were aboard her Fury class interceptor, moving through hyperspace, and once again she had paid a visit to ensign Holli's workspace in the cargo bay.

"I think I've got it this time, my lord," the engineer said grinning, "The new conduits have been installed. I ran some voltage tests and they appear to be holding. The weapons upgrades you requested have been added. I think we are finally ready."

Avaryss looked up and regarded the inert HK droid hungrily.

Finally she thought.

She had been patient.

Hopefully that patience was about to pay off.

With luck, she would have a new toy to play with.

"Proceed, ensign," she ordered, "Let us wake our new friend up."

The girl nodded and after checking the wires that snaked into the droid's head stepped back and picked up her data pad.

Here we go, Avaryss thought.

Holli entered the command, and moved back quickly. Before them the HK droid shuddered as Holli's activation codes began a full systems start-up.

Avaryss stood before it, Beric at her side, an ion rifle with safety off in his hands.

She had smirked when he had come in carrying it.

"A little skittish lieutenant?" she had asked.

Her brother shrugged.

"Begging the lord's pardon, but I've heard too many tales about HK model droids to stand before one unarmed.

"Really? What tales have you heard?" Avaryss inquired.

"These models have a tendency to…"accidentally" kill their masters. There are plenty of stories going back almost three hundred years. The HK assassin has never been the most stable of models and besides…"

Her brother leaned in closer so that only she could hear.

"I would not risk my little sister's life on the work of an engineer, no matter how skilled."

Avaryss chuckled.

Her brother's concern was touching, but unnecessary. Holli knew the price of failure, and her pride as an engineer would not allow her to make such a foolish mistake.

If she says that it will work, she believes it.

The three of them continued to watch as the droid shuddered, finger digits clicked, and internal servos whirred.

The wires that had been plugged into the droid's head disengaged with a loud click, they fell to the deck like strings cut from a puppet.

Finally, the droid's optics lit up, two bright shiny golden lights. The head tilted upward as the droid regarded the three organics in the room. It ceased slouching down and stood up straight, its head moving back and forth quickly, like some predatory bird.

Avaryss smiled and stepped forward.

"Welcome droid," she said nodding her head, "I am Avaryss of the Sith, your new master."

The droid said nothing; it continued to look back and forth.

Avaryss smiled dropped slightly.

_Had Holli made some mistake? Had the droid not heard her?_

"State your designation," she ordered, "and prepare to receive your mission parameters."

The droid stopped looking around, its optics focused on her.

"Greetings," the droid said, "I am HK-Sigma 3, and my assassination protocols are now fully at your command, master."

The droid stopped speaking; it looked around again, its fingers clacking loudly.

"Is something wrong droid?" Avaryss asked.

It once again met her gaze.

"Statement: Everything is fine master; I was simply waiting to see if my systems were going to crash again. I had no desire for my functions to be interrupted by the actions of an inept mechanic."

Holli's eyes widened.

"Inept? Hey?!"

The droid made a sound, it might have been clearing its vocalizer, or it might have been what passed for a snort of amusement.

"Statement: This unit learned long ago to accept the shortcomings of Meatbags. How creatures such as you were able to create one such as me, I cannot say. Perhaps you learned to ignore the constant sloshing of water in your squishy parts, either that or you have come to find the sound soothing, how it does not drive you mad, I have no idea."

Beric chuckled.

"Did you have to make it so hostile, Holli?"

"This unit has always been hostile," the HK growled, "Now that I'm functional again, and have full access to my self-repair systems; I no longer need to hide it."

In spite of the attitude, Avaryss pleased.

It is functional again, and now I have yet another weapon in my arsenal.

_Let my master beware._

"I would not be so quick to declare my superiority, droid," Holli said checking the readings on her pad, "You may function, but you are not fully functional."

The droid's optics focused on Holli.

"Query: What do you mean?"

The changeling engineer grinned.

"I did not activate your weapon systems. If you want full access to your capabilities, you are going to have to trust in this…inept Meatbag mechanic."

HK Sigma 3 tilted its head, its servos whirred, and its golden eyes flickered.

The droid felt no emotions, not in the traditional sense, but she could imagine how this knowledge might prove…frustrating to it.

"Grudging statement:" it growled, "It seems I have no choice."

"No you don't" Holli smirked, "So you could try to be a little nicer to me, yes? The one who brought you back from the scrap pile."

"Acknowledgement: thank you, inept Meatbag, this unit will try to be nicer."

Holli sniffed.

"It is a start I suppose."

HK turned its attention to Avaryss.

"Statement: You say you have a mission for me, master. I'm most eager to engage in wanton slaughter, it has been too long."

Avaryss gave her new droid a savage grin.

"Don't worry droid," she said, "I'm sure I'll find someone for you to terminate.

"Excited statement: I shall be counting the seconds until that moment, master. I'm most eager to get back to work."

"So am I droid," she said.

"So am I."

Her comlink beeped.

"Yes," she said bringing it to her lips.

"We're about to come out of hyperspace, boss, figured you would wanna be up here."

"I'm on my way," Avaryss promised. She turned to Holli.

"Bring Siggy's weapons online, ensign. I may have need of him."

The droid's optic's blinked.

"Siggy?" it said sounding vaguely insulted, "Master, I am a refined assassin droid model; such a…name is beneath me."

The young Sith chuckled.

"Consider it a term of endearment, my friend. I had to deal with a similar shortening of my own name once."

She grinned.

"It became…acceptable after a time."

Again the droid made a sound that might have been a sigh.

"Grudging acceptance: As you command…master."

IOI

Avaryss made her way to the bridge, a sense of giddy anticipation speeding her on her way.

She was eager to see what HK Sigma 3 could do. Their target today was a little soft, but that was okay.

It would serve to get her new toy blooded early.

She stood beside Mister Rink as he pulled the lever to bring them out of hyperspace. The tunnel of light faded to be replaced by a sea of stars.

The interceptor leapt forward towards a small planetoid, for the briefest of moments Avaryss had feared that they would hit it. They rushed towards, its rocky surface filling the viewport. She took a step back, her eyes widening in surprise.

She need not have worried.

Rink brought the ship to a stop long before they struck the surface. She could see nothing else besides the airless rocky surface.

The former street rat leaned back in his chair and smiled.

"There," Rink said making a few adjustments to the controls, "I had to bring us in hot, but I think that station out there did not detect us."

He looked over his shoulder, meeting her gaze.

"If they saw anything it was the briefest of contacts, probably thought it was a sensor ghost, unsuspected and undetected, just like you asked for, boss."

Avaryss nodded, pleased.

The station that her master wished them to investigate was said to have some of the most advanced sensors in the sector. Avaryss had hoped to sneak up on them, not wishing to alert a possible enemy of their arrival.

If Rink was to be believed they had just done that, now all they had to do was hit the station hard and fast. They could afford to give them no time to call for help.

"Well done, Mister Rink," she said patting him on the shoulder. Set the auto pilot to keep us hidden here, and then join us in the briefing room."

The Sith smiled.

"It is time to prepare for our attack."

IOI

Between Avaryss and Beric, it did not take them long to come up with a plan of assault. As her brother pointed out at the beginning of the briefing, this was no battle station.

They would be unprepared for the blade that was about to fall.

The station itself was a joint venture between the mining guild and the Hutt cartel. The Hutts had built and maintained it, in exchange for a hefty payment from the guild. The station's purpose was to monitor traffic between the Cartel and the Sith Empire, and offer protection for independent merchant vessels. Given the number of pirate gangs that called this region home, the guild thought it necessary to have a listening post here, to make sure that if a ship was attacked, it would not have to worry about being out of communication range. If any attacks occurred, the station was perfectly placed to detect it, and would be able to have help deployed in a matter of minutes.

It had gone a long way in ensuring safe travel through this part of space.

"Why has no one tried to destroy it," Rink had asked during their meeting, "You would not think the pirates would be skittish if their livelihood was threatened?"

Avaryss and her crew sat around the table in the Fury's briefing room, before them a hologram of their target floated. It was small as space stations went, basically a series of communications arrays attached to a central oval-shaped body. The station was not heavily armed, possessing only two point defense lasers for blasting any asteroids that got in the station's path.

An easy victory, she thought, once we are aboard. No doubt a pirate would think the same, so Rink's question did have merit. Of course, a pirate would have considered who owned this station.

That would be enough to stop them…if they were smart.

"The station is still cartel property," Avaryss reminded Rink, "The Hutts would not be happy if some gang blew it up, and even if someone did, they would need to worry about the mining guild as well."

Avaryss smiled.

"Both groups are known to have a very long reach.

"So now we are going to attack it," Beric said shaking his head, "I thought you just made peace with the Hutt, won't they be pissed that we attacked this place?"

"I spoke with Lord Vogga about this, he has agreed to give us free reign in this matter," Avaryss assured him, "As long as the station suffers no permanent damage, and we share what data we seize from here with him. We do that, and he is willing to let the matter go."

Beric nodded, her response reassured him.

"We have entry points here and here," he said pointing the hologram. If Rink can bring us in fast enough, we should be able to attach at **this** airlock and be in the station proper before they have a chance to respond."

The soldier regarded their pilot.

"How about it street rat, can you handle that?"

Rink chuckled.

"Hey…it's me," he said confidently.

Beric rolled his eyes.

"How big of a crew does this thing have?" Holli asked; stopping any argument before it could begin.

"Five man crew, at least that is what Vogga's men said, they have some droids as well, but they shouldn't present a problem."

"But if this place is being used by the conspiracy, should we not be expecting some surprises," Quenya asked.

"There is always that chance, yes," Avaryss agreed, "Which is why we can afford no slip up. Beric, Holli, HK and I will secure the station while Rink and Quenya stay with the ship. Any problems and we may need to fall back quickly."

She looked at HK.

"Keep the body count to a minimum; at least until we know what it is we are dealing with."

"Assurance," the droid said, "Have no worry master, I will terminate no Meatbags unless ordered to do so."

"Good," she said, "Discretion will serve us best I think, but if I tell you to indulge yourself, droid, know that you have my permission to get your hands bloody."

"Eager statement: I shall await that order with much anticipation.

After that things happened quickly. Avaryss and her boarding party made for the airlock, readying their weapons. Rink returned to the bridge to prepare for his part in the plan, while Quenya stayed close to guard the airlock. The Devish was not pleased with being left behind, but Avaryss assured her that it was necessary.

"You are my wild card, Quenya," she informed her, "It is safe to say that the conspiracy has no knowledge that you serve me. We left no survivors to suggest otherwise."

The alien girl nodded.

"This is being true; I will do my best to stay out of sight, my lord, unless you are needing me."

_She takes to orders well, and is becoming more accepting of my commands, good_, Avaryss thought to herself.

Quenya was coming along faster that she thought.

When Avaryss gave the order, things happened quickly, despite the artificial gravity on board, the whole crew felt when Rink used the planetoid's gravity to slingshot them around the rock and come in hot against the station. Holli had activated the jammers aboard the Fury, but was not sure they would be effective, the transmitter aboard the station was quite powerful; there was always a chance it could get a message out.

We must move swiftly, Avaryss realized.

We have little time.

The stations point defense lasers fired on the Fury, but they were no match for the Sith craft's shields. Rink did just as he promised and brought them down on the airlock on the first try.

The Sith wasted no time, Holli's data pad was interfaced with the airlock as soon as they were secured, and the door hissed open a minute or two later.

Avaryss and her boarding party stormed the communication's station. Her senses were hyper-alert, seeking any danger through the Force.

The resistance they met was minimal.

Two repair droids tried to block their path with cutting lasers, but they were no match for Avaryss. Holli and Beric fired ion rifles at two more inert droids to make sure they would be unable to come up behind the group and cause any trouble. HK Sigma Three stuck close to his new master, the droid's rifle moved fluidly, checking for any threats to her person.

Avaryss was pleased.

The droid seemed perfect for the role of a bodyguard.

He would serve her well in more dangerous situations.

Using the map that Vogga had provided, the group had little trouble heading for the station's command deck.

So far none of the crew had come out to try and stop them. Avaryss could sense them through the Force, a blend of fear and determination.

The young Sith frowned.

She would have preferred that the men been terrified, that would have made things easier.

Warmaster Feore had wanted the stations communications logs, all of them. According to the Warmaster, Niro the Hutt had contacted this place directly three times in the days leading up to Avaryss' arrival, the last call being placed the very day that Avaryss had struck Lord Vogga's businesses.

It was here that they hoped to find out who it was that had motivated the Hutt to betray his Sith allies, and if they happened to find any information on the conspiracy, so much the better.

Avaryss shivered with anticipation.

Something was here, she thought.

She could feel it.

As they entered the station's central chamber, they heard voices, voices and the sound of electrical discharges, and the sound of something metal falling heavily.

Avaryss red eyes widened.

No.

A single door stood between her and her quarry, she did not wait for it to open, or to be locked.

She reached out with the Force and ripped it off its moorings; she flung it out of the way like it was nothing.

She and her crew strode into the chamber.

They arrived to find the communications consoles in shambles.

The station's five men crew stood before her, a mix of shock and horror radiating from them through the Force.

Behind them a hologram shimmered, a bluish figure clad in the robes of the Jedi.

Avaryss snarled.

Too late, the darkness within her growled.

Too late!

The Jedi was a young woman, human from the look of her; she may have been Avaryss' age or a few years older. Her shoulder length brown hair was pulled up in an intense bun, with a small braid hanging down behind her right ear. She regarded the new arrivals with a frigid gaze, her dark eyes cold and calculating.

When she spoke, her voice had no emotion; they might have well been addressed by a droid.

"You are too late, Sith," the hologram assured her, "These men have already destroyed the communication logs."

The Jedi did not smile, but it was clear that she took some pleasure in the Sith being denied her prize.

"You came here…for nothing."

Avaryss glared at the girl, she had no idea who this person was, but already she hated her.

"Not for nothing," Avaryss said with a sneer, "I've seen your face, Jedi, and since you are here, it is safe to say that this station has been working with those who have been conspiring against the Empire."

She laughed coldly.

"I'm getting closer to you, and your master."

The Jedi remained cold and distant, Avaryss felt nothing from her , whether that was because it was only a hologram, or the fact the girl's Jedi control was that complete she could not say.

"You have no idea what is going on here, Sith," she said, "Your chaotic Empire is doomed, even now your lords are tearing at each other like dogs. When the time comes the Republic will not even need to fire a shot to end you."

"I've heard that before, Jedi," she said, "You underestimate us, and the power of the dark side. We are stronger than you realize."

Her eyes fell on the five crew men who had destroyed her prize. Human's all, only a flicker of the Force in each. They were barely worth her time, but they had stolen her prize from her.

That needed to be answered.

Her smile turned cold.

"I think a small demonstration is in order."

She felt, for the briefest of moments, a twinge within the girl, fear perhaps?

The emotion was gone almost as soon as she felt it, buried beneath the Jedi's will.

The girl regarded the men who had done her bidding coldly.

"These men are beneath you, Sith."

"Well you aren't wrong," Avaryss agreed.

"They are _unarmed_, and know **nothing.** Their task was simply to record and report."

The Jedi pinned her with a cold gaze.

"You have no reason to harm them."

"Don't I?" Avaryss said a hint of amusement in her voice.

_The fact that she is concerned for these men is reason enough_, the darkness whispered in the back of her mind.

_Make them __**suffer!**_

She was extremely tempted.

"You men," she called out, "Tell me one useful piece of information and I will not kill you, you have my word, I swear it in the name of the Emperor."

Say nothing," he hologram said, "The Sith must know nothing.

"We will say nothing," the men repeated in unison.

"The Sith must know nothing."

Avaryss sneered.

Weak minded fools, she thought.

"Is this how the Jedi Order wins the loyalty of its followers?" she asked, "By using the Force to manipulate them into aiding them?"

"Your oppressive Empire is the greatest threat the galaxy has ever faced," the girl said coldly.

"We will go to any length to see you stopped, Sith."

"Will you?" Avaryss said, "how interesting."

She reached out with the Force.

She crushed the neck of one of the men with barely a thought.

He slumped dead on the deck.

"NO!" the Jedi hologram shouted.

Avaryss seized a second through the Force and bounced him off the bulkhead with enough force to shatter every bone in the man's body.

As he crumpled like a broken toy, she turned to the Jedi hologram and glared.

The Jedi's eyes flared with fury.

"**There was no need for…"**

**"YOU DID THIS!"** Avaryss spat at her, "I came here for communications logs. It is _**you**_ that decided to stick your nose in this. It is you, through your orders; that doomed these men."

She turned back to the three survivors.

"Two down, three to go," she laughed, "Shall we go again?"

"Sith," the Jedi hissed, her calm fading quickly, Avaryss could almost feel the hate boiling beneath the Jedi's calm, even from here.

_Interesting._

The three remaining men looked at each other; she could feel their terror now. Seeing their allies die shook them out of whatever stupor the Jedi's mind trick had left them in.

Avaryss raised her hand; a spell was already on her lips. She had not used this one in a while, she was eager to see what would be left of the man she tested it on, she…"

One of the men broke.

He spun around and looked at the hologram.

"Padawan Loor….Xen…help us!"

The girl winced.

Avaryss laughed, she lowered her hand, grinning in triumph.

"Give the man a prize," she crowed, "I asked for one piece of information for your lives, and he **won** it!"

She regarded the hologram with a cold smile.

"Padawan Xen Loor, I presume?"

The Padawan glared at her.

"That name will give you nothing, Sith."

"Perhaps," she shrugged, "But it does give me a place to look, unless you were smart enough to give these fools a _false_ name."

The girl did not respond; she simply stared daggers at Avaryss.

"I didn't think so," the Sith said.

This whole conspiracy thing was still too new to the Jedi.

The usefulness of a false name escaped them.

"You have what you came for Sith," Xen Loor said flatly, "You promised to spare these men, do so."

"Yes, I promised that I would not kill them, and believe it or not, I'm a woman of my word."

Avaryss turned with a merry smile on her lips, and began to walk back towards the airlock Beric and Holli regarded her curiously, no doubt wondering if it was simply going to end this way.

Avaryss stopped; she did not even bother to look at the hologram when she gave the order.

"HK," she said.

"Query: Yes master."

Avaryss giggled.

"Indulge yourself."

"Thank you, master."

The droid slung his rifle over his shoulder and raised his left arm; the hand opened up, and slid back revealing a short barrel...

"NOOO!" the hologram shouted.

HK Sigma 3 did not listen.

A ball of orange flame leapt from the assassin droid, followed closely by a stream of fire. The surviving techs did not even have time to scream.

The droid doused them all in a matter of seconds; the burning bodies fell to the deck their screams cut short by the heat of the fire.

The chamber filled with smoke and the stink of burning meat.

Avaryss shuddered with pleasure.

Yes, she thought, feeling the men dying.

Oh yesss!

"Excited statement:" HK said loudly, "I HAVE A FLAMETHROWER!"

Despite the horror of the situation, Holli chuckled.

"I thought you might like that one," she said, "Kids love them, or so I hear."

Avaryss turned back to the hologram. Padawan Loor stood there, her dark eyes wide, her mouth twitched.

The girl radiated horror.

"No," she gasped, "No."

Avaryss grinned.

"I said that I would not kill them," she reminded the girl.

"I never said anything about the droid."

The Padawan did not seem to have heard her.

Yet, when her eyes found Avaryss, they blazed with black hate.

"Not again," she hissed, raising her hand.

**"NEVER AGAIN."**

Avaryss gasped, she felt the Force wrapping around her throat like a garrote. She had no idea where the Jedi was, but…

_Damn,_ she thought.

_The girl has a good grip._

The Sith did not claw at her throat. The choke was not that strong, though she did feel the Force tightening.

Another Sith would have killed her instantly. Another Sith would have made the grip so tight she would not have been able to think, much less use the Force.

The Jedi girl was no Sith, the move was clumsy, a child lashing out with no real understanding of what she was truly doing.

It was not hard for Avaryss to bring her defenses to bear, to protect herself from the clumsy attack.

She gestured, feeling the pressure fade.

She grinned at the Padawan.

"Naughty Jedi," she hissed, "very naughty."

Xen Loor pinned her with a murderous gaze.

"When your foul Empire falls, I will find you Sith. There is no place in the galaxy that you will be able to hide."

"You will not have to look far, Jedi, trust me."

The hologram winked out.

Avaryss grinned.

_A very naughty Jedi_ indeed, she thought.

_Xen Loor._

_She would remember that name._

The station's fire suppression system kicked on, spraying the burning corpses and bulk heads with foam.

Avaryss and her crew retreated.

Beric seemed troubled by what he had seen. HK Sigma 3 was practically bouncing, the droid equivalent of excitement for his role in the mission.

Holli came up beside Avaryss, she looked worried.

"We did not get what we came for," the engineer said.

"No we did not," Avaryss agreed.

"Then we failed."

"Not at all," Avaryss said, "We know that the conspiracy did have a hand in this place and that they likely aided Niro the Hutt and tried to block us."

The Sith grinned.

"And now, we have a new name to follow. We know the name of Xen Loor."

Avaryss laughed.

"A Padawan has a master, who knows, he or she may even be the one we seek, the one behind all this."

Holi nodded, she saw her leader's point, but….

"I think you made an enemy today," the engineer said.

Again Avaryss laughed.

"An enemy," she said, feeling more pleased than she had in a while.

_Xen Loor,_ she thought _a very naughty Jedi._

_Was the girl an enemy?_

"We will see, Holli," she said.

"We will see."


	45. Family Matters

**Chapter 45: Family Matters**

Words could be as deadly as a lightsaber, and cut just as cleanly.

Avaryss knew the value of words. The sisters of the Imperial mission had used them to ensnare her, and bring her to the place she was now. Those words had motivated her to seek revenge and power, and though she would not trade what she had gained for anything, she was well aware how the manipulation had happened, and how deadly such a manipulation would have become had she learned the truth too early.

Now…she found herself trapped, not because of any enemy, but because an ally heard something that he should not have. He had not been ready. Words had put her in an ugly position. The side of her that followed the tenants of the dark side knew how to free herself, but in doing so, would bring pain, perhaps the greatest pain of all.

The young Sith sighed.

Was she ready to endure such pain?

_There was no pain where the power lies._

What did pain matter in face of greater power? What did it matter what she had to endure if it lead to success.

She knew what was expected of her, but at the same time…

It would not be an easy pill to swallow.

She had retired to her cabin aboard her ship. She had both locked the door, and scrambled the access code, so great had become her paranoia. She was not sure how _**he**_ would react, what _**he**_ would do now that he knew the truth.

She tried to think of something to say, anything that might turn things back in her favor; anything that might help soothe the savage beast that had been unleashed.

She could think of none.

Damn you, Lady Synestra, she thought, imagining her fingers wrapping around the woman's slender throat. A pleasing thought, but did little to change what had happened.

Damn you straight to hell.

IOI

It had all began to fall apart when she had tried to contact her master, to inform him of what she had learned on the listening post. The Hutts were already on their way to secure the now abandoned station, if anyone asked what had happened to the previous crew; Lord Vogga's people were already in place to claim that an electrical fire had gotten out of control and consumed the five men.

It was a reasonable story, made even more so by the damage that the repair team would find. Vogga and the Hutt clans would have the station working again in no time, which would please their mining guild partners.

As far as both the Hutts and the mining guild were concerned the matter would be closed.

Avaryss had been eager to report as much to her master. She was also eager to get Warmaster Feore's people to work on the name of Xen Loor, to find out who the Padawan's master was, and thereby find their next target…perhaps their _final_ target.

She had sent the request for an audience, and stepped back, ready to take a knee before Lord Feer. She could barely contain her excitement, surely this was what they had been waiting for, and searching of all this time.

Both that eagerness and excitement faded when the hyper-comm connected with the Feer estate on Dromund Kaas, and the image of who was answering materialized.

Her master's rodent of a son glared down upon her.

"Oh," the boy said coldly, "It is only you."

Avaryss' eyes narrowed, yet she had enough self-control to manage a curtsey.

"Young master Bael," she said with a slight tilt of her head.

Respect, she thought, remember to be respectful.

For now.

"I'm seeking your lord father, or Warmaster Feore."

They are not here," Bael informed her, "My lady mother has assumed control of House Feer in their absence."

The boy shook his head.

"Father did not feel that I was…ready for such a responsibility. How does he expect me to ever be ready if he does not let me rule?"

Avaryss said nothing.

In her eyes, the boy would never rule House Feer. As her master's apprentice, it was **her** destiny to bring House Feer into a new era, to remake it into the House of Avaryss. Which she would do…

….once she had tied up some…loose ends.

"My report is expected," she informed her master's son, "If you could send it along to your father…"

"I'm _**not**_ your servant, Avaryss," the boy spat back; "You will deliver your report to my lady mother. She will decide what to do with it."

_It wasn't her decision_, Avaryss thought, but managed to hold her tongue.

Lady Synestra was the ranking Sith in House Feer. She would need to play along with her, for the good of the mission and their house.

Bael vanished from the hologram, only to have his mother appear a few moments later.

"Report, girl," she said in a cold, yet courteous voice.

Avaryss did just that. She informed the lady of what had happened aboard the listening post, and her encounter with the Jedi Padawan.

The lady's reaction was not unexpected.

"So you failed," she said flatly.

"I did not fail," Avaryss assured her, "The logs may have been destroyed, but the Jedi's presence there confirms your Lord Husband's suspicions."

'All I need now is to hunt the girl down, and after that, the conspiracy will fall into our laps."

The Lady was not convinced.

"Your overconfidence is your undoing, child."

_And your arrogance is yours, Avaryss_ wanted to say back, but again held her tongue. If her master and the Warmaster _were_ gone, she would have no one to come to her aid should Lady Synestra seek to punish her. Lord Feer would be angry of course, but if he was as distracted as Bael suggested who knew when he might return.

"I've been listening to your reports," Synestra continued, "Your work on my husband's behalf has been far from exemplary. Time and time again you have chosen to disregard his orders, and by doing so feather you own nest, and feed your ambitions."

_Of course_, Avaryss thought, _is that not the way of the Sith?_

The missions assigned to her had never been easy, and they had all presented the opportunity for self-gratification and advancement. What kind of Sith would she be if she did not take that chance? There was no reward without risk.

"What has been asked of me has never been a matter of going from point A to point B, my lady," she said, "I've been forced to improvise several times on my missions, but my goals have never gone unaccomplished. I've never sought to put the Empire at risk. I've always weighed the good of the Empire against my own desires."

The lady frowned; Avaryss could feel her hatred through the Force. From the very beginning Synestra had known that Avaryss' position within House Feer was both a threat and a challenge to her son. The lady had never forgotten that, though what she could do about it had been limited by the presence of not only her husband, but Feore as well.

With them gone…perhaps she now saw an opportunity?

Avaryss was determined to convince her otherwise.

"I know your mind in this matter, my lady," she said.

Synestra glared down on her.

"Do you really," she said venomously.

"Regardless of your feelings towards me," Avaryss continued, "You must recognize the fact that the mission _**must**_ come first. Lord Feer knows that ending the threat of the conspiracy is the key to rising even higher in the Empire. Any personal grudges should be put on hold until this matter is dealt with."

The young Sith frowned.

"You would be wise to keep this matter in mind."

"She is threatening you mother, punish her!"

Bael's voice from beyond the holo field reminded her that the rodent was listening to their conversation. She knew that the brat would not be happy unless his mother lashed out at her, and that both mother and son likely saw as their rival.

"Return to Dromund Kaas," Lady Synestra ordered, "My husband will decide how to deal with your failure."

"That is not for you to decide," Avaryss reminded her, "If you put me in contact with my master, I shall…"

"My lord husband does not have the time to deal with you now," the lady snapped back. "There has been a problem in our holdings in the Zahn system. I am the ranking member of our family, and I _**order **_you to return."

Avaryss's frown deepened, her temper began to flare.

"And what of the Jedi and the conspiracy, should we just ignore what is going on? Should we forget what I've discovered?"

"Your master's agents will deal with this matter from now on. Once he returns, my lord will see how your stumbling has jeopardized all his good work, and weakened us from within."

She glared at her husband's apprentice.

'The time has come to let your betters handle this matter girl. You do not belong among us and you never have."

"My master believes otherwise." Avaryss responded.

"His fascination with you is a mistake; I see that now, as your repeated failures have proven. Your issues on the Wreck, now this matter with the Hutts, and the Mining Guild, the Empire is lucky we are not at war with both right now."

The lady shook her head.

"You should have died with the rest of your family. When my lord husband purged the rest of your clan, he was foolish not to finish the job; you are a threat not only to this family but to the Empire itself."

Avaryss growled in the back of her throat. It took all of her self-control not to lash out and her master's wife.

"You have no right to order me," she spat.

"I'm the ranking Sith of this family. You _**serve**_ us, or claim to do so, and you will do as you are told. You WILL return to Dromund Kaas."

The lady sneered.

"Your adventure at my husband's expense is over."

The hologram winked out, leaving Avaryss alone.

Her heart was pounding; she could feel both the blood and the hate within her rushing through her veins.

**That…that witch!**

**She does not understand! I will…**

There was a sound behind her; she spun ready to lash out at whoever dared interrupt her.

She froze when she saw who it was.

Beric stood before her; through the Force she could feel a blend of bewilderment, anger and betrayal.

It took her a moment to piece together what had happened.

No, she thought.

He heard.

He knew.

She was left speechless, for the first time in a long time the dark side did not rise to her defense, did not give her the insight and wisdom she needed to confront this.

Her brother turned and walked away. He said nothing, though his confusion and anger radiated like the light from a blue giant.

Avaryss pursed her lips.

Emperor save me, she thought.

What have I done?!

It had not been her, but she should have locked down the communication room the moment that she made her report. It would have been the smart thing to do, then again she had not been aware of her master's absence, and how could she have known that Synestra would have…?

I will need to deal with this, she realized.

You know what must be done, the darkness whispered.

He knows too much, and you do not have the time to explain things to him. The mission stands on the edge of a knife.

_Kill him; do not let him jeopardize everything you have worked for._

_Kill him…NOW!_

She had found herself taking a step towards Beric's quarters, but stopped herself. She thought about calling out to HK, seeing if he would like a little practice at killing a Sith commando in close quarters…

She dismissed both ideas.

_I cannot afford to be timid._

She could have moved forward, dealt with the matter but she had not. She sent word to Rink and Holli that she did not wish to be disturbed and returned to her quarters. Quenya was meditating and would not act without orders, nor would HK.

She needed to come up with something. She would need to decide what to do.

The ship was currently in orbit of a small moon within Sith territory, she had told her crew that they would remain there until they had further orders.

Well…she _**had **_the orders, but she was unwilling to accept them.

Her eyes narrowed every time she thought of the smug look on Lady Synestra's face.

_**That shutta does not command me!**_

If she went home now, if she decided not to pursue this lead before it grew cold?

Even if Feer ruled in her favor, even if he decided she had _not_ failed, it would be unlikely she would get another opportunity like this.

_Beric and the mission_, she thought, _I need to decide what to do with both, and quickly._

_What shall I do?_

_What shall I do?_

IOI

She was not sure how long she had been meditating when Beric finally worked up the courage to confront her. She had been lost in the Force when he came, floating on the ebb and flow of the dark side.

His presence felt like a stone dropped into a small pond. It sent out ripples, drawing her back from the cold embrace of the darkness.

She opened her eyes and sighed.

She could feel emotions, churning. His training as a Sith soldier were at war with his emotions. He felt hate and anger, but at the same time fear and confusion. He knew what he had heard, but at the same time, his training, his conditioning was to obey a Sith without question or thought.

The way it felt, was…_intriguing_, and answered a long unanswered question.

She had often wondered why her father had done nothing when he heard that Sith agents were coming to speak with him after Lord Feer had taken control of Oridanna; she had thought at the time that it was fear or cowardice.

That was not it.

As a soldier, her brother, like her father had been conditioned to obey their lords, to trust them to do the right thing. Even now, she could feel what Beric had been taught twisting his desires. He knew what he wanted, and what he wished to say, but at the same time, what had been done to him during basic training had changed him. He had been taught to obey his lords in all things.

Now, what he knew to be true, and what he had been taught was in conflict, it was…delicious.

She heard him knock on her chamber doors, asking for an audience.

She did not even bother getting up; she used the Force to trigger the door, and remained sitting on the bed where she had been meditating.

She opened her eyes as he entered. He wore his everyday uniform and a sidearm on his belt. If she had been anyone else, she might have been intimidated by that. She could sense his fear, she could almost smell it, despite his skills his every movement was giving off prey signals, and to someone who had been taught to embrace their predatory instincts, it was almost impossible to resist.

Something cruel and mean rose up inside her, it came too fast for her to stop, and she likely would not have stopped it if she could.

She smiled slyly.

"I've seen that look before," she purred, "It was the same look that our father had on his face before he died."

Beric's eyes widened, the world seemed to slow down.

His hand went to his belt, a very fast attempt to draw his weapon.

It was not fast enough.

Her hands were up, she yanked the blaster pistol out of its holster and pulled it to her with the Force, while, at the same time; she sent a wave of paralyzing energy rippling at her brother.

He was caught like a bug in amber, his features radiating surprise.

Time sped up returning to normal.

Avaryss smiled.

It had been over too fast.

She looked down at the blaster pistol; the safety was still, surprising considering her brother had come here, perhaps even contemplating murder.

She sat the weapon down on the bed next to her, and pulled her lightsaber into her hand.

She ignited the weapon, and held it before her. She could see the light reflected in her brother's frightened eyes; see the red glow on his skin, the blood shine of her blade. The dark side sang inside her, begging her to surrender to it, to free herself of Keera Lylos once and for all, and what else would it be but an act of freeing? If she killed Beric the last tie to her old life would be severed.

It would be so easy.

Her brother said nothing. He did not beg or struggle. He continued to watch her, his emotions unreadable through the Force now that he was caught.

"You must have questions," she said, "I think it is time you asked them.

He did not answer; he continued to stare, to wait.

"Ask your questions," she ordered him, "You may not get a second chance."

"I'm guessing that I'm all out of chances," he said, "That is how this is going to end, yes?"

"I haven't decided yet. You should speak; then we can go from there."

He took a shuddering breath; she realized how easy it would be to end his life. All she had to do was turn the point of the blade in his direction, and pull him towards her; he would die, just as their father had died almost a lifetime ago.

There was…a strange symmetry in that.

_Blossom…why? _

She blinked, ignoring the rogue thought.

She continued to watch her brother.

The next move…was his.

"Is it true?" he asked, "Is what Lady Synestra said true?"

"Did Lord Feer kill our family?"

Avaryss sighed.

There was no point in lying now.

"He did, or rather one of his enforcers did."

She shrugged.

"I was the only survivor that night."

She felt her brother's emotions again, shock, horror and rage. Some of that was even directed at her, not that she blamed him.

"You serve him," he growled.

"We both do," she answered.

"You serve the man that ordered our family murdered?"

"Yes."

"Have you known? Have you always known?"

"Not always, he told me after my training on Korriban was done, but since then…yes."

Beric snarled at her, she could feel his rage building, if he had been Force sensitive, she likely would not have survived whatever attack he might have come up with.

She let him struggle; let him rage, he could not escape the stasis field she had trapped him in.

She was eager to see what he would do next.

"How can you just sit there? How can you just admit what you've done?!"

"I've done nothing."

"You stand with the man who _**orphaned**_ us! He killed our parents, he killed the girls!"

"What do you want me to do, Ric?"

I want you to **hurt**," he spat, "I want you to feel shame! I want you...you…"

He had no more words, he glared at her, If not hatefully at the very least angrily.

"How do you live with yourself?"

Avaryss pursed her lips, and looked into the red glow of her ignited sword.

She smiled wistfully.

"It is not easy," she confessed, "In the beginning…I despised myself, my weakness, my willingness to do what Lord Feer asked, but, I ask you, what else was I supposed to do? Attack him with no chance of success, to throw my life away? I tried that on Korriban, brother. I attacked Lord Feer and it almost cost me my life."

She shook her head.

"In time, though, I've come to see things differently, to see the opportunity my apprenticeship represents."

"And what is that?" he demanded.

She grinned slyly.

"You cannot stab someone in the back if your do not follow them. How else would you even get close?"

Beric sneered.

"What is that, some ancient lord's proverb?"

"Most likely," she shrugged, "It is sound wisdom, despite the simplicity of it.

She deactivated her sword and sat it down on the bed next to his blaster. She rose from the bed, and walked up to him. She felt him struggling; trying to move, but it was no use.

She was too strong for him now.

"I **don't** want your death," she murmured, "I **don't** wish to kill you."

"Why not," he demanded, "I'm a threat to you, now, aren't I?"

"Perhaps."

Then why wish to spare my life?"

Avaryss licked her lips.

There was no easy answer to that question.

Though the darkness screamed for death, there was also a part of it that called for life. That small greedy part of her mind that did not wish to lose anything she considered hers.

_**He is mine. His life, his death, everything he does should serve me, me!**_

_**He is mine, mine.**_

_**MINE!**_

I will not throw away such a pawn recklessly.

That part of her made her smile.

She had not taken the name Avaryss without reason. Avarice…Greed was always part of her desire, her connection to the dark side.

It reared its head up again.

It was for that reason, and that reason alone, that her brother continued to draw breath. Though, she doubted that he would understand that. She decided to put it into a context that he would accept.

She smiled.

"I love you brother," she informed him, it was not entirely a lie, she still held great affection for him, there was enough truth in her words to convince him, she hoped.

"I love you," she repeated, "And together we shall change the empire for the better, I can feel it."

Beric watched her suspiciously, not that she blamed him. Sister or no, she had kept this secret from him, it was no surprise that he was angry.

"And how are we supposed to do that?"

She laughed.

"By living, of course, and by rising to the highest of heights of the Empire."

"You are going to be lord, I see how that might work for you, but I'm just a soldier, I'm just a grunt..."

Avaryss shook her head, no.

"You carry greatness in your blood," she reminded him, "The same blood that flows through _**my**_ veins. You may not be Force sensitive yourself, but you carry the potential. Our parents begot me, so it is possible that your children or their children will have a strong affinity to the Force."

"We simply have to find you the right girl to bring that affinity out."

He looked skeptical.

"You are starting to sound like mother."

"Is that such a bad thing?" she shrugged, "Having a Sith in the family can be useful. I can connect you with people who can help us elevate your station, and as I rise, so will you."

She gave him an evil smirk.

"We cannot change the past, brother, but we can chart our own course into the future. How would you like to be a general one day, an admiral, or how about a Moff, a _**Grand**_ Moff?"

She leaned in close whispering in his ear, putting all of her passion into her voice.

"I can make it happen. Stick with me and you will know a life far greater than any our parents could have dreamed of."

She stepped back, watching him. Again she felt his emotions, the anger remained, but it was no longer burning so hotly. Her offer of aid had affected him.

He was considering what she said.

Good.

Very good.

Beric stopped resisting, he held her gaze, a cold determination washed over him as he refused to break eye contact.

"Darth Feer must pay for the our family's death." He said flatly.

"I agree."

"I want you to help me kill him."

Avaryss laughed.

"I was about to ask you the same thing," she said grinning.

She reached up and touched his face, feeling the stubble on his chin.

She remembered when she was small, of the little girl Keera Lylos, her father scooping her up when she was but a toddler.

She remembered touching his face, Beric's face…it was very similar to their father's.

He had grown into the man that father would have wished him to be.

"We must be patient," she informed him, "Lord Feer cannot die until I've mastered all his secrets, until everything that he has falls into my lap."

"And when that day comes?" Beric asked.

"On that day, Andur and Mya Lylos will be avenged. Pamir, Talitha, and Anj will know peace as we crush the life from Darth Feer's body. The House of Feer will fall, and the House of Avaryss will rise and take its place."

She released the stasis field, her brother started to slump to the deck but she caught him, steadied him.

She gave him a cruel smile.

"You will be there when that day comes," she promised, "I will kill him, and you will get to watch."

"And our family will know peace." Beric said.

_Peace is a lie, there is only passi_on, Avaryss thought.

But she nodded none the less.

He nodded back, accepting her offer.

"Lady Synestra ordered us home," he said.

"That she did."

"Are we going to obey?"

"I don't think so," she said.

He frowned.

"Your master may not be pleased by that."

"Right now, he is not home to be pleased or displeased, that gives us a bit of breathing room."

"You intend to continue hunting the conspiracy?"

"I do," she nodded, "If we fail, we will all likely be dead, so it will not matter, but if we succeed…"

"Darth Feer will have a hard time denying your success," Beric answered, "It would make him look foolish if he tried to punish you for success."

"Nothing succeeds like success in the Empire," Avaryss reminded him.

Her brother nodded, accepting her argument.

"So we stay on the hunt," he agreed, "We follow the lead we found on the listening post. This Jedi Padawan…this Xen Loor person, we hunt her."

"That is the plan," she said.

"But how are we going to do that, Sister? We have no access to House Feer's resources. We can't simply contact Warmaster Feore's people ourselves."

"I've been thinking about that, and I think I've found a solution, it will not endure me to my master, but I must not turn away from a resource, especially one with so many contacts throughout the galaxy."

"Baras?" her brother said.

"Baras."

He nodded.

"Your master will not like that."

"Better to ask forgiveness than beg permission."

"And if you succeed, it will not matter."

"That is what I hope."

Avaryss stepped away; she went to her desk and pulled out a bottle of Alderaani brandy, a gift from Lady Elana of House Thul.

She filled two glasses, and offered one to her brother.

"Feer will answer for what he did one day, but for now, we must remain focused on the mission, the Empire has enemies. We must deal with them."

"Agreed," he said taking the glass, and holding it out to her.

"To our family then, Keera, to a matter of justice finally squared."

She nodded, forgiving his use of her former name. In truth, she would only accept that name from the lips of Fenn Shadowstone now.

She gave her brother a pass this time.

"To vengeance," she said holding up her own glass, "And to our _glorious_ future."

The children of Andur and Mya Lylos clinked glasses and drank to their success, and to the war to come.

Avaryss smiled.

"I need to contact Baras," she said.

"Hopefully, he is in a dealing mood."

"And if he is not?"

"Then this game is done before it can even begin."

Beric laughed.

"You will just have to be your charming self, sister."

She chuckled.

Once that would have been a joke, but despite everything, she had learned how to be charming in the last few years.

All she could hope for is that Baras would not prove resistant to those charms.

They needed him.

Hopefully, she thought, the dark lord would be in a good mood.

Hopefully.


	46. The Message

**Chapter 46: The Message**

"Watch it, boss, you got more incoming!"

Avaryss did not need to hear Rink though her ear piece to know that was true. It was within moments that the now familiar yodeling war cry of the Kaii people rang out, and with it, the yellow sky with its brown clouds filled, once again, with spears and throwing disks.

All around them the jungle echoed with shrieks and sounds of battle. The forest, a blend of giant mushrooms and trees that resembled long reeds with fluffy tops the forest hid the natives well…

…Right up until the time they tried to rain down death on the invaders.

Avaryss used the Force to seize one of the blue plumed aliens. They looked humanoid, bipedal, but the similarity ended there. The Kaii were about her height with white leathery skin, long arms and legs, and plumes of either blue or bright yellow fur. Their features were hidden behind what looked like gas masks with long stalk like eyes. The blue ones also had insect like wings, they fluttered through the air darting back and forth, avoiding blaster fire that gave them an edge over Avaryss and her followers.

It was an edge that Avaryss used the Force to remove.

She used the Force to fling the alien against the thick trunk of a large mushroom. The creature hit hard and fell to the ground. She would have gone in for the kill, finished the creature off before one of the Kaii healers could get the creature back on its feet, but she was cut off as another enemy emerged to challenge her.

She brought up her lightsaber as another native swordsman leapt down from one of the giant mushrooms that dotted that forest. The creature's sword of bone and plant fiber should have shredded under the crimson blade, but instead merely sparked, held and forced the young Sith to parry another wild attack.

Avaryss snarled in anger and lunged again, the creature's fighting style was rough and unorthodox, but it didn't fall apart under the strain of Makashi, between that and aid of the warrior's fellows, the Sith and her crew found themselves in jeopardy.

_Filth,_ Avaryss thought as she parried another of the warrior's strikes, _it does not matter how many of these things the Jedi throw at us, I will not be denied!_

_We __**will **__reach our target._

At her side Beric, HK Sigma 3, and Ensign Holli fired heavy blaster carbines, trying to keep the enemy at bay. Quenya stayed behind the group, using the Force to throw off the path of the projectiles raining down on them. The Kaii of the planet Vennoa-Skaii were a primitive race. They lived in communal villages, rode domesticated beasts, and harvested from the forest to survive. They should have been no problem for a Sith and her crew, but they were.

The Kaii were also moderately Force sensitive. They used that tinge of the Force to turn their throwing spears and disks into projectiles as fast and lethal as any rocket propelled ordinance.

They were far more than mere primitives; that was for sure.

She showed them…no mercy.

Avaryss' blade sliced off the warrior's hand; he tried to stumble away only to lose his head to spinning strike as the young Sith advanced.

I will not be denied, she thought.

She sent a blast of Force lightning up at the flying Kaii forcing them to withdrawal again, the aliens fell back into the foliage…

And then…just like that…they were gone.

Sighing, Avaryss lowered her lightsaber.

Another ambushed endured…for now.

"How are we looking, Rink?" she said into her comlink.

Her earpiece crackled as her pilot reported.

"They're falling back, boss, but the ship's sensors are losing them, something in the forest is interfering with our sensors.

Avaryss cursed under her breath. After the first ambush she had had Rink take to the air. The Fury was now in high orbit of their position. She had been hoping it would have given them more warning about future attacks.

It had not worked out that way.

They had arrived on the planet four hours ago, and had faced half dozen ambushes in that time. The natives were quickly proving more troublesome than Darth Baras had thought.

Unsurprising, Avaryss thought.

_Why else would the dark lord use an agent outside of his own house?_

If they succeeded he got to claim a victory.

If they failed, it cost him nothing.

Ah the beauty of Sith politics.

IOI

Darth Baras had responded quickly when Avaryss sent a request for an audience. It had not been twenty minutes, when the hyper-comm beeped and the image of the broad shouldered masked dark lord appeared before her.

She had smiled and tried to put her best foot forward, with Lord Feer currently occupied, Baras was likely their best option.

Avaryss was determined not to anger him.

He had been a bit surprised by her call, with everything that was happening in the Zahn system, he had suspected that she would have been called away to serve at her master's side.

"Lord Feer understands the value of my mission, Lord Baras," she had informed him, "He has trusted me to continue the hunt in his absence."

Her answer could have been considered a lie, but the dark lord bought it, or at least pretended to.

She could sense his amusement through the Force.

"I'm surprised that your master would do so, youngster," he said, "My own master, Darth Vengean, as well as several council members have also made for the Zahn system."

The dark lord crossed his arms over his large chest.

"Given that…I would have thought your master would need you at his side."

"I'm sure with so many powerful Sith in attendance, the matter will be dealt with swiftly, Lord Baras, but in the meantime the stars continue to burn and the planets spin on."

She gave him a sly smile.

"The matters of empire still need to be tended to."

"Well said girl," Baras replied, he might have smiled, but she could not tell with the dark lord's mask in place.

"Well said."

"In the course of my investigation into the conspiracy against the empire, I've recently turned up a name. I was hoping that your agents might be able to turn up something useful on her, perhaps even her location.

She grinned.

"The two of us have matters to discuss."

The dark lord nodded, though he did not volunteer any information, not that she was surprised.

You did not rise to the rank of Darth by being trusting.

"My agents might be able to aid you child," he nodded, "But as you so put it so succinctly during our last conversation, what is in it for me?"

"I'm still owed that translation key for the report you sent me," she reminded him, "beyond that would you seriously say no to having me owe you a favor? I've proven my value among the order, have I not?"

"You are skilled; no one doubts that," he said, "As for the key, I will send it now. As for your question…feel free to ask, if I think it is worth my time I will tell you what I know."

It was not much Avaryss realized, but it was better than nothing.

She nodded and gave the dark lord the name of Xen Loor.

Lord Baras' reaction was…interesting.

Baras liked to be in control, to know more than either his allies or his adversaries. She sensed a brief sensation of surprise from the elder Sith, but that was quickly buried beneath his mental shields.

"Xen Loor," he said, "that is the person you wish to know about?"

"It is," Avaryss nodded, "She is a Jedi Padawan. I'm curious what you agents might be able to turn up on her."

The dark lord chuckled.

"It seems that our interests are once again aligned, youngster," he said, "I've heard that name several times in the course of my own investigations into this…conspiracy. In fact you will likely hear it again yourself when you are unlock the report I've sent you."

Baras reached off screen; his hologram shimmered and quickly returned to normal.

"I've just added a layer of security to our conversation," he informed her, "Can't be too careful in such interesting times."

""I guess what you have to tell me is a bit on the juicy side, my lord?"

"It could be called that, I suppose," he admitted.

"There are several names in the report I sent you, child. I'm sure you would take the time to investigate them all one by one, but perhaps there is a way to work around that. A central figure that might mean more to this than even I realized. This person, this name, stood out for me personally, a thorn in the side of the empire that should have been eliminated long ago."

Avaryss laughed.

"Let me guess, you would like me to…take care of this problem?"

"I would not be angry if you did," Baras admitted, "And as it happens this Xen Loor you mentioned does run in the same circles as the one I mentioned, his end might be just what you need to draw the Padawan into the open."

"It might," she replied, nodding, "Who is this person that vexes you so, my lord?"

"His name is Brandol Venari," the dark lord said, "A Jedi Master and former member of the Jedi High Council."

The dark lord's words sent a shiver down her spine.

Not just a Jedi Master, but one of the **high** masters.

She was…intrigued.

"Tell me about this man?"

IOI

As Avaryss and her crew made their way through the jungle, she thought about what Lord Baras had told her about their target.

Brandol Venari was one of the most venerated Jedi of his age. He was well into his second century of life, and had served for almost sixty years as a member of the Jedi council, a record among human Jedi.

He had also trained many Jedi during that time. Many of these had gone on to hold high posts within the order.

"What of Xen Loor," she had asked, "Is she one of Master Venari's students?"

She is not," Baras had informed her, "But the one who is training her was. The man holds great prominence among the Jedi, and has served for many years now as the liaison between the Jedi Order and the Republic Senate."

"Do you happen to know the name of this man?" she had asked, feeling a sense of excitement she had not felt before.

That excitement had only grown when he finally answered.

"Xen Loor is the Padawan learner of Jedi Master Sy Dar Bynn."

Avaryss' eyes had widened when she heard the name.

Sy Dar Bynn?

Baras tilted his head.

"You have heard the name before?"

"I know a Jas Dar Bynn," she admitted, "We've have…encountered each other in the past."

"Jas Dar Bynn is the man's twin brother, his identical twin I've been told."

Darth Baras chuckled.

"Given their reputations though, I cannot think of two brothers who are farther alike."

Avaryss nodded.

Jas Dar Bynn's brother, she thought, was that why he was hesitant to tell me what he had learned about the conspiracy?

Did he suspect that his own brother was involved?

If that was true, then she could certainly understand why the Jedi had chosen to say nothing. Family was family after all. She had heard that the Jedi try to minimize their feelings of attachment, but…

…A man's twin brother, his identical twin…that might be enough to motivate even a Jedi to remain silent about someone's wrong doings.

"The report I've sent you will confirm that this…Xen Loor has visited Master Venari several times, and all of them on the behalf of Republic SIS. One might think that she was being sent to get orders from a leader."

It was possible, she thought.

"What kind of man is this Master Venari? What are his politics?"

"He was most unhappy about the signing of the treaty of Coruscant, or so my agents have led me to believe. It seems that he chose to enter exile rather than accept the Senate and Council's decision on the matter. He has lived like a hermit since the war ended, choosing to remain on a primitive world on the fringes of Republic space."

Baras stood a little straighter.

"Venari is not the first Jedi to choose such a fate, several high ranking Jedi chose to step down from the order proper in protest of the Senate's choice to end the war. They now live simply, trying to stay hidden as they meditate on what went wrong."

"And the Empire just allows such tempting targets to exist?" Avaryss inquired, "You would think that the Emperor would want such possible threats removed."

"We are of a like mind in this matter, youngster," Baras has agreed, "When I first learned of the existence of these…Jedi hermits, I advised the dark council to act quickly and eliminate them."

The Dark Lord shook his head.

"They refused to act, not wishing to jeopardize the treaty."

"Yet they will shed no tears if one of these Jedi falls," Avaryss said grinning, "I can't imagine that they will be too upset to hear of the death of one of the high masters of the Jedi Council."

"I suspect that they wouldn't, child," he nodded, "Especially if this Jedi is caught up in a conspiracy against us."

"Killing the master might just draw out the former student," she added, "If Venari is the leader of this conspiracy his death will send a message to the others, and if he is not, if his former student is behind all this…"

"Such a death may convince the student to act rashly, to come into the open."

Baras chuckled.

"You have a sharp mind, child. You will make a fine lord one day."

Avaryss was not flattered by his comment; she had already deduced what was going on.

He said it himself, he wanted this Jedi eliminated. Right now he was playing to her sense of patriotism and vanity, but the endgame was the death of a senior Jedi Master.

If she failed, then one of Baras' rivals had lost an apprentice, and if she succeeded, the old man could go to his master Darth Vengean and tell the tale of how he manipulated his rival's apprentice to get the job done, while their hands remained clean.

It was a good scheme, she had to admit, and if she wanted any further aid from him she would need to play along, but carefully, mindfully.

She had no desire to simply become another one of the Baras' pawns.

"Tell me more about Sy Dar Bynn and Xen Loor; surely you have had agents looking into them, considering their involvement with Master Venari?"

Baras chuckled.

"Let us call that information child, the reward for finishing this job. I will give you the location of Mater Venari's hermitage. If he is slain, I will tell you what I know about Sy Dar Bynn and his apprentice."

Avaryss shrugged.

It was likely she would have to kill the old Jedi anyway; she might as well get something out of it.

"So be it," she said, "I will deal with this problem for you."

"Oh it is more than a mere problem girl; do not let your own pride blind you to the danger. Despite his advanced age, Master Venari is still quite dangerous. If I were you, I would be very cautious in confronting him."

"I will be mindful," she promised, "Now…where can I find this Jedi?"

He had told her, and that knowledge had brought her to Vennoa-Skaii, and once again they found themselves under attack.

This time the locals popped up out of a small river to their right, trying to flank them. While that was going on more of the blue furred winged creatures lobbed down spears and throwing disks from the giant mushrooms high above.

Once again Avaryss blocked these attacks; she sent a blast of Force lightning into the water, trying to draw out their attackers.

A throwing disk knocked HK off his feet, but the natives did not have time to take advantage of that. The droid fired the grenade launcher built into its hip, and after three grenades set one of the mushrooms above them on fire, the Kaii once again retreated into the forest, leaving the broken bodies of several of their fellows behind some burned from HK's attack, and others hacked down by Avaryss and Quenya's lightsabers.

Avaryss shivered.

After so many attacks, even she was starting to get rattled.

The natives were proving to be more dangerous than she could have anticipated.

She could feel the fear from her crew as well; even Beric and Holli who were used to dangerous environments seemed rattled. She could feel the sense of panic they held in check, but any more such attacks and they would likely flee, or ask that she summon Rink so that they could escape.

To be honest she was contemplating such an escape herself.

This hunt was not going the way she had hoped.

Beric looked exhausted, he was sweating buckets. Holli swallowed hard, the grease stains that her changeling abilities always seemed to create on her face flowed over her skin like water. Only Quenya and HK seemed unaffected. Droids could not be demoralized, they would fight despite the odds, and the Devish had developed a sort of death wish, she did not care if she lived or died.

Avaryss wished she could be so fatalistic.

I can't die here, she thought.

I CAN'T!

The Kaii were not going to give up, they were scared of her, but they were also motivated, they would give their lives if need be to drive off the invaders threatening their world, and the one that had settled here, the Jedi that had come here as a friend.

We will never reach him; a fearful voice within Avaryss seemed to say.

Never!

Avaryss shook her head; she had never felt so helpless; not since the night her family had been taken from her. She…

"Master Avaryss?"

Avaryss ignored Quenya, what did the fool Devish want now; could she not see they were in a bad way? Did she not understand?

"We are being under attack, Master Avaryss," the alien girl growled, "Reach out with your mind; defend yourself."

Avaryss shook her head.

They were…under attack, but the Kaii had retreated... they had survived and she was so tired. She had lowered her shields to rest after pushing herself so hard, how could they be…

The young Sith blinked again, she reached down inside her, calling on the dark side again. She wrapped herself in its cold embrace, forming a shield as hard and unforgiving as Mandalorean iron.

The panic…the sense of hopelessness receded, her will pushed it back like the tide, and when it fled, new emotions came in.

Anger.

Hate.

Fury!

She growled like a hungry Tukata.

Quenya had been right, they were under attack!

"Aid me Quenya," she ordered, "Draw on your power, help me shield the group."

The Devish nodded.

The two Force users connected, Avaryss immediately felt the change in the air, and in her companions.

She sneered.

Damn you Jedi.

She thought.

Damn you straight to hell!

"What…what was that," Holli asked.

"My lord," Beric said shaking his head, "I feel…"

"The Jedi filth is playing games," she growled, "Baras warned me to be mindful and I didn't listen."

She shook her head.

"He could have told me the Jedi knew the art of the battle meditation. I could have prepared us better."

"Battle meditation?" Holli asked, sounding confused.

Avaryss nodded.

Yes, she knew.

Battle meditation.

She should have known.

Battle meditation was the art of using the Force to not only demoralize your enemies, but to also inspire your allies. A single skilled Force user could use the ability to terrifying effect during combat. The archives back on Korriban had given many examples of both Jedi and Sith using the ability to turn the tides of battle. The clearest example of such was the Battle of the Star Forge some three centuries ago. It was said that Darth Malak's apprentice had switched sides during the conflict, whether to simply destroy her master or because she had grown weak and fallen to the light, few scholars could agree on what had happened; all they knew was the result.

The Sith had failed, and the Star Forge had been lost.

The Empire would have to wait three more centuries before it was strong enough to try again.

Avaryss sighed.

It was another ability that she had no talent for. It, like Force Persuasion, was beyond her, but she could shield herself, and the others, at least for now.

But what happens when another ambush comes?

What will you do when the battle meditation enhanced Kaii fall on you again?

What am I going to do?

What can I do?

Simple, the dark voice within her said, you stop playing the mundane hunter and you start acting like a Sith Lord.

How would a Sith Lord solve this problem?

How would one of the sorcerers of old solve it?

You send a message, a very strong message.

Avaryss grinned.

She knew a way.

"Gather round," she informed her crew.

"Things are about to get interesting."

She gestured towards the ground, using the Force she drew a line in the dirt around them, it moved quickly around the group, forming a perfect circle, one large enough to include them all. She spoke quickly into her comlink, informing Rink to go to a higher orbit, just in case.

She had never attempted this before.

She had no intention of being stranded on this rock of something went wrong.

"Shield the others Quenya," she ordered, "the rest of you, keep the Kaii back if they try to advance again. They must not break my concentration."

"What are you going to do?" her brother asked.

"I'm going to be a Sith," she said with a smile, "This forest stands in our way. It shields our enemy and gives him succor, there is only one answer…when in doubt…don't fight through the forest…"

Her smile turned predatory.

"Destroy the Forest."

"Excited exclamation," HK said looking at her, "Shall I engage my flamethrower, master? I'm most eager to burn something."

"Save your fuel, HK," she said, "I can handle this."

"Destroy the forest," Holli said, "How?"

"Like this," Avaryss said turning away from them and gesturing with her hands, all the while she reached down deep within her, seeking the heart of darkness, the true power of the dark side.

Her eyes rolled back into her head as she began the chant. The spell she was calling on was powerful, but not dangerous as some she had learned over the years.

It would serve her well.

She had first discovered it while studying the scrolls she had liberated from the forgotten tomb on Korriban. Those scrolls had proved to be the true treasure of her final trial. After her adventure on Hoth, she had returned to her studies, reread the scroll, and memorized this particular spell just for this sort of occasion.

Their Sith ancestors knew how to deal with enemies, the one in the forgotten tomb equally so. Though Avaryss had found no record of her name, she had been intrigued by what the woman had accomplished.

The ancient Sith who had been buried there had been a woman of great power, according to the scrolls she had been one of the first Dark Jedi to choose to mate with one of the Sith High priests. She had been ostracized for that act at the time, but their union had not only yielded strong Force sensitive progeny, but it had also given the girl access to spells that her fellows would not come to understand until much later. When they finally realized that she had been right to embrace their red skinned servants as not only weapons, but an excellent breeding stock as well.

Thinking about that made her think of Fehl again, and with that thought the rage at his death returned, giving her even more power for her spell.

She did not deny that anger, that pain, she let it flow into her feeding the darkness.

It would feed her spell, and the power she was about to unleash.

She welcomed it.

"You got contact coming in from the west, boss," Rink said over his communicator.

"Can't say how many."

Avaryss ignored him; she trusted Beric and the others.

They would keep the Kaii at bay.

"**Contact! Contact!"** Beric shouted.

"**Open fire!"**

"Assassination protocols engaged **die meat bags!"**

"Shield Master Avaryss!

"HK don't waste your ammo, use your secondary weapons too, they are part of your defensive protocols."

Avaryss only partially heard her crew. She was someplace beyond them now, beyond the world of flesh.

It was an extraordinary experience.

The world had fallen away, her body seemed distant; she felt…she felt like a snake that had shed its skin.

She had emerged glistening, lost in a world of pure emotion.

She could feel her crew's fears, their courage, and their anger. She could feel the Kaii people's emotions as well, that and the bolstering they were enjoying from the Jedi Master, the puppeteer hiding behind the wall of spears, swords and throwing disks.

Avaryss almost laughed.

She could sense the Jedi's concern; he knew something was wrong; he tried to will the Kaii on, no doubt hoping they would destroy her before she could complete her work.

He would be disappointed.

She found that she could look down, that she could see her own body. The shell of Avaryss now floated a good two feet off the ground, surrounded by a bubble of violet blue energy. The blades and spears of the Kaii could not breach it, but Avaryss' people's blaster bolts seemed to emerge just fine.

Her body seemed to be glowing with dark side energy, energy that was feeding off the conflict around them. The crystals built into her helmet mask and wrist bracer glowed bright crimson, beneath her black cloak the Sith tattoos that adorned her spine pulsed with each beat of her heart. Her eyes were open but unseeing, they glowed like twin suns.

Twin suns?

A sense of vertigo overwhelmed her.

She felt herself be carried away from the battle.

The galaxy opened up to her.

She saw a small blonde haired boy sitting amidst a sea of junk, he wiping at tears threatening to fall as he tried to fix an old droid.

The world changed again.

She saw two men sitting in a luxurious apartment, one human, and one alien. The alien slouched in his chair, his eyes out of focus as the red haired older human talked.

She watched as the alien's head finally dipped down, the glass he had been holding fell from his hand.

The human paused mid-speech, he stared at the alien, and then, with a slight nod, he raised his hand.

Force lightning blasted the alien as the human vented years of hate and vengeance.

A Sith must arrange his own promotion, she thought, and then she was gone again.

The galaxy shifted.

She saw her master; he had his lightsaber in hand. He was…retreating.

All around him she saw shambling wrecks that had once been people. The mere sight of them made her shudder.

They had been living…once. Now they were kept aloft by mechanical devices. All were clad in the ruins of imperial uniforms, their rotted flesh barely holding their frames together.

She watched as her master fought, blasting the creatures with Force lightning, and then…then…

A strange red cloud seemed to rush from out of nowhere.

Her master shrieked and fled.

The world shifted again.

What had happened!

I NEED TO KNOW!

She tried to control her path, but it was no use.

Darth Feer was beyond her vision again. she…she…

She gasped.

She found herself back with her crew. The air roiled the wind shrieked like an abandoned child. Lightning crackled off the bubble of pure dark side energy she had gathered.

In that briefest of moments, she saw the old Jedi Master. She saw Brandol Venari. He was small and wizened; he was bald except for a thin ring of hair around his head, that and the long silver braid that ran down his back. He was still muscular despite his advanced years. His arms and chest hinted at the physical power he must have wielded in his youth. His eyes were closed and he was bathed in sweat, she could feel him trying to reach out to the Kaii, trying to warn them away.

Too late for that, she thought.

Far too late, Jedi fool!

In that moment, she thought he could see her standing before her.

No, she thought she heard him whisper.

Stop.

She smiled.

No, she thought.

I have a message for you old one.

She raised her hands.

"Behold the dark side!"

She brought her hands together, the clap sounded like thunder.

The world roared around her.

Avaryss gasped.

She was back in her body, she found herself kneeling on the ground.

All around her the world had become a fiery hell.

The dark side spell she had unleashed pulsed out like a tidal wave and what it touched it obliterated! Giant mushrooms withered and collapsed the fluffy trees burst into flames, their tops blowing away in bright orange cinders.

She felt the Kaii panic when she set off the blast. They had tried to flee.

They were not fast enough.

Those consumed by her spell withered to skeletons in a microsecond. Those who made it to cover burst into flames, their agony, their death cries filling the Force with a terrible cacophony of pain and torment.

Avaryss giggled.

_It was __**delicious!**_

"My lord?"

She took a deep breath, and swallowed hard.

"I'm…here," she gasped, "I'm back."

She laughed.

"Beware the dark side," she cackled.

In a small puddle where she knelt she saw her reflection, she had lost her mask during the spell.

The sight gave her pause.

She looked exhausted, like she had not slept for weeks; great dark bags were prominent beneath her eyes. Her cheeks were sunken in and bruised. Her forehead creased with wrinkles.

She shook her head.

The price of power, she thought, but not permanent for one who knows the ancient ways.

Her vanity made her laugh; did it really matter if she looked twenty years older? She had done it.

She looked up.

The path was now clear.

The jungle had been blasted away for several miles in every direction. The spell seemed to have run its course, but the damage had been done.

She tried to stand, her joints creaked, but she managed to find her feet. Her cloak and gloves were covered with frost, the cold had been so intense that she could even see her crew mates breath in the air.

_An impressive display to be sure_, she thought, _a most impressive display._

She could see why the ancient Sith had coveted such a spell.

She reached out with the Force.

She felt the Jedi's presence, his horror at what she had unleashed.

His reaction amused.

Don't worry Jedi you will not have to feel such pain much longer.

"This way," she ordered.

She stumbled only once, but Beric had made sure she had not fallen.

The crew looked at her with a sense of…awe…fear?

It was probably both.

She smiled as she drank in the dark side energy that now permeated this place, using it to restore her features and physical strength.

She would need both if she was to defeat a Jedi high master.

She was eager to face that test.

_Ready or not_, she thought with a smile.

_Here I come._


	47. Venari

**Chapter 47: Venari**

He knows were coming.

That realization should have frightened her, just knowing that a Master of the Jedi High Council was aware of her, and awaiting her arrival should have made her heart skip.

Strangely enough, Avaryss felt nothing but eagerness. The spell that she had used to destroy the Kaii blocking her path had left her feeling…energized.

She felt prepared for whatever would come next.

_Careful,_ the dark voice within her warned, _you expended a lot of energy to cast that spell. The dark side is limitless, you are not…_

_…It would be a shame to die because you underestimated some old man._

But I'm not underestimating him, she thought to herself, I'm well aware of his power, I felt it when he touched my mind with his battle meditation.

He is strong, make no mistake…but today…I am **stronger!**

_She needed to believe that, otherwise…she would likely be too intimidated to do what was needed, what was right._

The Jedi** would **fall.

The spell had left the jungle for almost two miles in every direction a blasted husk. The ground had become a rocky desert, not even a blade of grass remained. As for the jungle itself, the pulse of dark side energy had withered every living thing in its path. Even the giant mushrooms, whose caps could support the weight of an imperial shuttle craft had turned to dust, destroyed by the fury Avaryss had unleashed.

With each encounter my power grows, the young Sith knew, I've come a long way since my cleansing of that Republic safe house on Tatooine.

Now…the time had come to take the next step, destroying a senior Jedi Master would prove to be a most exciting challenge.

If I can defeat this man in battle, not even Darth Feer will be able to deny my strength, my value as his apprentice.

Today…she would prove herself her master's _**true**_ successor.

Her crew followed in her wake. HK took up the rear, his scanners searching the debris for any sign of further ambush. Beric and Holli looked upon her with new eyes, realizing perhaps for the first time that she was worthy to stand among the Sith Masters.

Quenya looked upon her with awe; Avaryss could sense it through their connection in the Force. Their bonding to shield the others had helped further that connection. When two Force users worked together, it was not unheard of for such a link to form.

In time it could evolve into the link between master and apprentice. Quenya still dragged her feet about committing to the Sith way, but slowly, surely, the Devish was starting to see just what the dark side had to offer a strong and willing initiate.

All she had to do now was accept, if she did that…there was likely no limit to where she could go.

The rewards the dark side offered were many.

If only Quenya could come to understand that.

They crossed a stream all but choked with debris and burned bodies. Avaryss could sense life as they finally passed beyond the blast radius of her spell, but even here, the darkness had left its mark. The energy that had flowed over this place had not been powerful enough to destroy, but it had left scars. The Force burned within this place now; it was a place that was now a focus for fear and malice.

She could sense the Kaii as well, those lucky enough not to be caught in the blast. The energies she had unleashed had changed them to; she could sense…instability, perhaps bordering on insanity.

The realization made her smile.

Even in the most destructive of circumstances, creation _**was**_ possible. She had done more than simply clear the way for her and her crew. She had created a nexus of dark side energy. If left unchecked…it would likely continue to shape the world around it, but then again, why leave it unchecked?

Perhaps when all was said and done, she would have a shrine built here, a structure to help focus the dark energy she had unleashed. Who knew, in a hundred years Sith pilgrims might journey here to revel in what she had done.

It was worth considering at least.

They finally passed beyond the jungle, unmolested by further attacks. They arrived in a small native village. Beasts of burden cried out as they passed, struggling against their tethers, perhaps sensing what Avaryss was. The Kaii structures were unique. They appeared to be made up of fallen mushroom caps, caps that had been altered and arranged to create the native's village. Wooden fence posts stood before each dwelling, likely to help secure whatever animal that the villager called his or her own. Doors and windows had been added, cut into the surface of each of the fleshy structures, and yet no light shone from either, and no smoke drifted up from the chimneys.

"Are they all dead?' she heard Beric murmur.

"No," she answered, "Many still live, but they are hiding now. Perhaps they fear that I will unleash yet another spell upon them.

The young Sith chuckled.

"They need not worry about that, they have learned their lesson, as long as they do not stand in my way, they are safe."

She gestured to her belt, drawing her lightsaber into her hand with the Force.

"All I want is the Jedi."

They made their way down the abandon street. HK mentioned that he detected several creatures within the structures, no doubt watching as they passed. The droid offered to terminate them, but Avaryss said no.

_Let them bear witness to what is about to occur. Let them all see the power of the dark side._

They left the village behind, through the Force the Jedi's presence shown like a beacon, a warm light in the chaos, a lantern shining bright enough to be seen through the gloom.

_It was a lantern that was about to be blown out,_ Avaryss thought hungrily.

Come to me Jedi.

Let us dance a final dance.

They came upon a small clearing not far from the village; a single structure rose up from its center, another native dwelling; lights flickering in the windows.

Master Brandol Venari sat meditating on the steps of his home, clad in a tan robe, and wide leather belt, the aged Jedi master seemed out of place in such a primitive surrounding. Avaryss could imagine him sitting in some comfortable chair surrounded by his Jedi underlings. The only trappings of wealth she saw was a large gold medallion that hung around the Jedi's throat on a long golden chain. If he was aware of her, he did not show it, perhaps he did not see her as a threat, and through the Force he radiated a sense of both power and serenity.

_Clearly he did not understand the threat that was coming for him._

He was joined by two others, a strange fish-like alien with a large billed head, and another yellow plumed Kaii, the alien's neck was draped in beads and medallions. Avaryss suspected that the creature was either a chieftain or shaman.

Her crew started to raise their weapons, but she stopped them with a single raised hand.

That was not how this was going to begin.

She was no savage; she wished to get the measure of her opponent.

"Wait here," she informed the others.

"I will be back."

Proudly she made her way down to the Jedi's dwelling, her lightsaber in hand, but not activated.

She was willing to let the old one make the first move.

She approached unchallenged, and unhindered. She could sense the Jedi's attention on her, but he did not try to warn her off or threaten her. When he did finally speak, it was with a voice void of fear or anger.

"I knew you would come," he said finally opening his eyes, his features looked like hard leather, but his dark eyes were both clear and alert, radiating a power all their own.

He gave her a sad smile.

"I have awaited this day for a very long time."

Avaryss paused, unsure what to make of that.

"You expected me?"

The old man nodded.

"The shadow of this moment has been in my mind since I was a youngling. The details were always unclear, the place, the time, even **you** were undefined, just a shadow emerging from the gloom.

The old master sighed.

"Last night, for the first time, I finally dreamed of this moment with crystal clarity, I saw your face and knew that my time of testing had come."

He shook his head.

"I must confess, I never imagined that when this day came. That it would be a girl that I was fighting. I never imagined that the Sith would send a child to oppose me."

Avaryss sneered at his words, his lack of understanding.

She was young true, but she was also well trained. She had endured much on her journey down the dark path.

She was far more than a simple eighteen year old girl. She was her master's student, apprentice to a Darth of the Sith Empire.

She would not be underestimated.

"I've been told that the future is always in motion," she said conversationally.

"That is true," he agreed.

"But I would also say that the future can still arrive at the same place despite the many twists and turns that the world puts before us."

She regarded her lightsaber thoughtfully.

"The road may have been different then you expected, but it did not change the destination, and so here we are."

"Yes," Mater Venari agreed.

"Here we are."

Master Venari's guests finally opened their eyes and regarded her. The fish like alien, likely a Jedi Padawan glared at her. The Kaii's expression remained unreadable under its mask; she was not familiar enough with the species to gauge its reactions.

"When I was young," the old Jedi continued, "I could not make sense of what you were. I could not understand how such darkness could exist in one so strong in the Force, but when your empire finally returned, I knew what shape this test would take, and I knew what it was I would be expected to endure."

Avaryss sneered.

The old man talked like this was some kind of training exercise, he understood nothing.

If this was a test, then it was a Sith test, and in Sith tests there was only one result.

Succeed or perish.

"You should thank your former Padawan Sy Dar Bynn for bringing me here," she informed him, "It is his actions that have drawn us together this day."

The old man shook his head.

He did not seem surprised.

"Young Sy was always ambitious," he said, "Even when he was a boy he thought he could deal with problems with just his wits and the blade of a lightsaber. I tried to teach him patience, to trust in the will of the Force, but for some…that lesson is not easy to embrace."

Avaryss smiled.

It was not confirmation, but it did point in that direction didn't it?

She decided to push further.

"Then you know what he is doing, your former student and his student? You know what they are doing to my home?"

"The empire is a very real threat," the old man said, "Can you blame young Sy for seeking to halt its advance?"

"He is violating a treaty," she snarled back, "A treaty that your people signed in good faith!"

"A treaty forced on us as saber point. A treaty forced on us as Coruscant and the temple lay in ruins."

Master Venari shook his head.

"Your people even now prepare for the next war. Why should the Republic be any different?"

"What about your precious code," she said grinning slyly, "I've heard that the Jedi way is to use the Force for knowledge and defense, but not to attack."

She laughed.

"What are your apprentice's actions if not some passive aggressive form of attack?"

The old man did not answer, he just held her gaze, the cool clear blue eyes seeming to be looking into her very soul.

The old man sighed.

"He came to me a few years ago, shortly after I came to this place. He asked for my help in what he was doing, and has continued to update me as he has progressed, trying to convince me to help, to join his crusade."

The old man sighed.

"It should have been Jas. It was Jas Dar Bynn I had sought to have as my student. I had felt a connection to the boy the first time we met, but when he was lost, when we thought him dead, it was his brother that I chose. I thought: _they are __**twins**__, how different can the other boy possibly be?"_

The old master shook his head.

"As it turns out, they were quite different. Jas…he could have been a great Jedi if the Force had been kinder."

"I've met him," Avaryss said, "He is stronger than you think. Respect for one's enemy does not come easy for a Sith, but for Jas Dar Bynn, I _**do**_ respect him.

She snorted and gestured dismissively.

"I'm not here to talk about Jas Dar Bynn, old man. I'm here to deal with the conspiracy your former student has started. I'm here to save my home."

The old man gave her a sad look.

"Is your home truly worth saving? Do you know what I see when I look at you through the Force girl? I see people that you will slay, Jedi that you will corrupt. Your bloodline will be a bane to both the Jedi and the Republic."

The old man sat up straighter, she could sense the defiance in him now.

"I question Sy and Xen's methods, but not their results. If there is to be peace in the galaxy again, then the Sith Empire must be dealt with. It cannot be allowed to regroup and rearm. Sy takes a risk yes, but I think it is a risk worth taking."

The master pinned her with a cold gaze.

"Perhaps it is for the best that your life ends here."

Avaryss glanced at the old man and his guests. She was not sure of the Padawan's capabilities, and the Kaii was yet another wild card, still…she was not fearful.

She had numbers on her side. All she had to do was call out and.

Brandol Venari gestured, a wave of Force energy washed over her.

It was all that Avaryss could do to shield herself, the world spun crazily; she staggered as it felt like all the blood in her body was rushing to her head. The sonic dampeners in her ears kicked into overdrive, there was a sound that was not really a sound, and only through the dampeners and the strength of her own will did Avaryss remain upright.

Her allies were not so lucky.

She turned her head, and saw what the Jedi's attack had done.

Her crew lay unconscious on the ground, even Quenya had not escaped the Jedi's trick. HK slouched over, his blaster carbine lying on the ground next to the others. He had not fallen, but the strange sonic attack had likely disrupted his circuits.

Avaryss turned back to the Jedi, who now wore a gentle smile.

"I'm afraid your slaves cannot help you this time Sith," he said proudly.

"You don't play fair, Jedi," she spat, "Still…no one ever said life was fair."

She ignited her lightsaber; its crimson blade sprang to life.

"Stay back, master," the alien Padawan said, "Let chieftain Hadi and I deal with this Sith."

"I did not seize this advantage to risk it by simply staying back, Oss," the old man said standing for the first time. He gestured to his belt and his lightsaber leapt into his hand, the blue blade igniting with a hum.

"I've endured the nightmare of your presence for too long Sith," the old man said raising his blade.

"The time has come to wake up."

She was about spit defiantly at the Jedi; taunt his decision not to face her one on one.

She did not get the chance.

One moment the Jedi was standing there with the two aliens and then…

She was under attack.

If not for the Force she likely would have lost her head right then and there, it was all she could do to keep her blade moving; Soresu saved her but only for the moment.

The old man was a blur, and as she tried to fall back, his fellows attacked.

Avaryss was almost overwhelmed.

The Kaii struck with his staff, bone and leather, just like the swords wielded by the warriors in the jungle, twice did the hard weapon strike her, once on the thigh, and again across the shoulder blades. Her armor protected her somewhat, but…

The Padawan bounced around like some maddened nerf. His strikes did not penetrate her defenses, but it drew her attention away from his master, and that was the real threat.

Master Brandol Venari was a blur, his style a blend of Ataru, Djem So and Makashi. She felt the cold kiss of his blade on her forearm, shoulder, and waist, not enough to wound, but enough to make her realize the truth of this situation.

Impossible, she thought, _**not**_ possible!

The old man was ancient! He was relic!

No one moves **this** fast!

Sensing that her defense was failing and on the verge of collapse, Avaryss did the only thing that she could.

She retreated.

She called out to the dark side, and it responded giving her the speed to break away from her three attackers, but even then it was barely a respite. They were still there, pursuing her.

She leapt into the air, landing on one of the giant mushrooms beside the Jedi's house.

The Padawan and the Kaii pursued her, again she found herself under their weapons.

It was all she could do to keep herself alive.

Master Venari arrived a few seconds later, using the Force to fly up and engage her anew. Through the Force the old man blazed like a yellow star.

HIs mere presence hurt her damaged eyes.

"Do not seek to escape, Sith. Now that I know your face I will pursue you wherever you run. Let it end here, I will make your death as painless as possible."

Avaryss retreated again, she lashed out with Force lightning as she fell back. The Jedi master did not even try to block it with his saber; he simply stood there and absorbed it into his hand, absorbed it and sent it blasting back at her.

It was all she could do to evade the blast that tore through the tree behind her.

She tried to cast a spell, any spell, but again she was caught within a hurricane. The enemy was all around her. She somehow managed to push the young Padawan away, but that was only the barest of reliefs. Both the Kaii and the Jedi Master continued to push her.

The master and Chieftain's wills were too strong, she realized, none of her spells would breach their mental defenses. The Padawan might have been vulnerable, but she had no time to focus on him, that and her mystical talents had still not fully replenished themselves after the spell in the forest.

The dark side was limitless, sadly, she was not.

The Jedi was strong…too strong.

She could not stand and face him…not directly.

She ran again.

This is not working, she realized, her mind moving at hyperspace, trying to come up with an answer.

My skills are not up to this, she realized, Baras had been right.

She should have been more mindful.

_Given up so quickly, Hopeful? _

Avaryss blinked.

The voice she had heard was not one she remembered fondly. Phylon, the pureblooded Force master of Fury 9, his voice rang in her ears dripping with arrogance and condescension.

_I know Adaz teaches his students to engage their foes directly, but sometimes, that is suicide._

She could almost see the arrogant bloat grinning at her.

_The dark side gives you far more options than direct attack…remember that._

Avaryss nodded, she remembered that conversation, it was the day that Phylon had taught her attack the minds of her opponents how to plant suggestions into the weak minded or easily controlled. At the time the girl that would become Avaryss had been engaging two of Phylon's favorites, one with a blade, and another using mental attacks. She had been one of four students attending that lesson, the fourth, a human boy whose name she could no longer remember had stood back with the master and been watching.

She smiled slightly.

She remembered well how she had passed that test, but did she have the time?

She parried another strike from the Padawan and pushed him back. The Kaii once again fell upon her as master Venari sent large stones flying at her head. She managed to dodge and cartwheel out of the way.

She leapt back with all her strength, trying to give herself as much room as she could.

She reached out with the dark side.

She had one chance; it was a slim one, but…hopefully; that would be enough.

She came down hard twisting her ankle, she cried out and yet somehow still managed to find her feet. She reached out with the dark side, seeking to manipulate its flow to her advantage. She also called on it to dull the pain in her ankle, and wounds she had taken during this fight.

She had no time to focus further.

Her enemy was once again upon her.

Her blade flashed as it blocked the Kaii chieftain's staff. She blasted him with Force lightning, but it barely made the alien take a step back. Over his shoulder she could see Master Venari advancing, the Padawan at his side.

She dropped into a Soresu fighting stance, her blade over her head, the point directed at her enemy.

"This is foolish girl," the old man said, "You can't run from us forever. You…"

A spear flew at the master's head; it was all he could do to dodge it.

"Master," the Padawan croaked, "The people..?"

Throwing disks and spears rained down on them. The Jedi were forced to back pedal.

Avaryss grinned.

Thanks, Master Phylon, she thought…

…Thank you ever so much.

Kaii fighters that had been affected by her early spell boiled out of the jungle, they flung their weapons at the Jedi and their own chieftain.

In that moment, Avaryss saw an opening.

She took it.

She lunged at the Kaii chieftain, he blocked her strikes, but now without the Jedi to back him up, he was starting to see the limits of his own puny abilities.

Avaryss laughed.

You wanted to play the numbers game with me creature…well…let's play!

The Jedi had thought her alone; they had thought her without potential allies. They had been fools.

The Force was her ally, and it touched everything here.

What a Jedi could do, so could a Sith, and Master Venari had made it all possible.

By using his battle meditation on these simple people, he had created a Force link between himself and them. He had been forced to strengthen that bond to make them fast and strong enough to oppose the Sith and her allies. When she had used her spell earlier she had not severed that connection, she had chosen to exploit it. The fear and anger she had unleashed had saturated that connection, spreading to the warriors and their allies.

As she had retreated to the village she had reached out to that connection again. By opening themselves up to the master's influence, the people here had made themselves open to any Force sensitive, which included her.

She had managed to touch that link through dark side nexus she had created, and now she was flooding the Kaii with thought of anger, hate and vengeance.

The warriors drank it up; they were almost maddened by it. All that remained was for Avaryss to pick a target, to give the people something to direct their rage at.

The Jedi and his two allies were perfect.

The Kaii chieftain was shouting at his people in his native tongue, trying to calm them, but the warriors were maddened. The alien fell back trying to escape his people's weapons, giving Avaryss a breather, and the means to cast her will over the scarred warriors even more.

They were like mad dogs now, looking for something to bite.

Their chieftain was the first.

Avaryss watched as a spear caught the alien in the chest, he staggered back, losing his staff he held up his hand, warbling something to two warriors that lunged at him with their bone swords. He only had a few moments before the warriors were on him.

They knocked the chieftain down and began to savage him with their blades. The creature died trying to get through to his people, unwilling to fight them.

Fool, Avaryss thought as she leapt over butchery, they weren't your people anymore.

They were mine.

The Jedi proved to be smarter than the Kaii, they recognized the danger they were in; they slashed at the maddened aliens, using their powers to turn back the tide.

It was then that Avaryss struck back. Her own blade became a blur.

Now…she was free to go on the offense.

She flung the Padawan out of the way and engaged the master. Their blades flashed back and forth as the two spun and wheeled, striking at each other again and again.

As Avaryss watched she felt the change in the old Jedi, at long last his age was starting to catch up with him. No longer did he shine as brightly through the Force, no longer were his strikes as hard or precise as they had been at the beginning of their duel.

Even the stars die eventually she knew.

Even the brightest lights go out.

Each chop and strike brought her closer to victory.

"NOOOO!"

The alien leapt through the air, his croaking war cry drawing her attention as he tried to bring his blade down on her head.

She reached up catching him in a Force grip.

She reached up and squeezed.

The alien choked and gasped. As she threw him forward.

The master tried to stop his flight, to use his own powers to block the creature's flight.

The two Jedi collided, and went skidding through the mud.

Avaryss threw back her head and shrieked a cry of both victory and fury.

She limped forward, her blade at the ready. She was thirsty for blood.

She was eager to quench that thirst.

The alien found his feet first, he lunged at her, but by now there was no challenge.

He blocked her first three strokes, but by then Force exhaustion had set in, that and the guilt of having to slay his own maddened allies.

Avaryss blade punched through the alien Jedi's chest, the red beam coming out the other side.

She spun away as the Padawan fell, his fading presence no longer a threat to her.

She turned to Master Brandol Venari, the old man was wheezing, but somehow still managed to find his feet.

He took a deep breath and tried to center himself. Yet, she could sense his fear, could almost see herself through his eyes. She was practically glowing with dark side energy, the carnage she had wrought restoring her strength and beauty. Her eyes blazed like two red infernos. Her mouth dripped blood where she had bitten her tongue, giving her an even more terrifying appearance.

He was afraid, yes, but he was still a Jedi, he did not let it cripple him.

He glared at her.

"You're a monster," he growled.

Avaryss laughed.

"I'm your monster," she reminded him, " Your old Padawan unleased me on you, and now you have given me the confirmation I needed, now I know the name of Sy Dar Bynn, the leader of the conspiracy against the Empire. You have my thanks Jedi."

The old man held his guard, his fighting stance, but she knew that he sensed defeat.

Behind them the maddened Kaii were destroying their own village, attacking their loved ones.

She grinned.

"You have brought this upon, yourself, Jedi;" she said lowering her blade slightly, "The pawns you created will kill everyone they come across now. Will you leave them to rage across this world, or will you do what is necessary to stop them?"

The master blinked.

"You would let me help them?"

"I would let you die trying," she said, "How delicious it would be for you to die fighting your own friends and neighbors."

She sensed Venari's anger he started to raise his blade again.

"Attack me and I will kill you," she warned him, "and all those innocents you put at risk by hiding here will die anyway. Torn apart by those they loved."

Avaryss lowered her blade and deactivated it.

"Your time has come, old one. Die just another victim under my blade, or die trying to save the so-called innocent Kaii…make your choice."

She smiled savagely.

"It is all the same to me."

She looked at the Jedi, both through her eyes, and through the Force. He was spent, his powers all but exhausted. He was just another old man now, a tired old man, but he still had his pride, his damnable Jedi pride. He had to know what she was offering was a death sentence, but she knew what the answer would be regardless.

He sighed, a sad and hollow sound.

"Damn you, Sith," he murmured as he switched off his lightsaber.

"May you know eternal torment in the madness beyond death."

"I' take my chances," she shrugged, "Who knows, I might one day live forever."

He did not respond, only shook his head.

He turned away from her for the final time.

The old man limped away, seeming every bit the hundred year old man that he was.

Avaryss watched him go. She reached out with the dark side one last time, bringing her pawns to a higher state of alertness and fury.

_Deal with that, Jedi_, she thought.

_If you can._

She turned away, back towards where her crew had been struck down, with the Jedi going to his death, they should be stirring, waking from whatever trick he had cast. She spoke into her comlink, summoning Rink to come and get them at the Jedi's dwelling.

They were done here, and Darth Baras owed her information on Sy Dar Bynn and Xen Loor, the old man would…

"ARRRRRRRRRRRGH…!"

The pained scream sent a tremor through the Force, likely it would be felt off world as well.

A cry cut short, the sad end of a very long life.

Avaryss smiled.

A shiver of pleasure ran down her spine.

Master Brandol Venari, formerly of the Jedi High Council was no more.

_Now it is over_, she thought with a sigh of pleasure.

_Now…I am __**done.**_


	48. The Head of the Snake

**Chapter 48: The Head of the Snake**

_I gave you a chance old man, now…you die._

_Avaryss leapt as the old Jedi flipped and spun around her. She was not sure how but the man had somehow found his second wind._

_Now he was once again back on the attack, his blade driving her back, his attacks as crisp and fierce as they had been when the two had first begun this dance._

_It does not matter, Avaryss thought, he can't keep this up forever, and even if he could, I will match him move for move, both youth and power are on my side._

_She grinned hungrily._

_The old man would not survive this._

"_Kill him Avaryss! Kill the Jedi NOW!"_

_Darth Feer egged her on from the Jedi's dwelling. She could feel her master's excitement in watching the fight…and…his displeasure._

_What, does he want, she thought, does he think this is easy? I'm fighting for my life here._

_If he wants the old fool dead so badly, let him join his blade to mine. Then we will see how long the Jedi filth lasts_

_That…was not going to happen, she knew her master well enough to know that._

_This is your test, my dear, not mine, he would have said._

_I expect for you to pass it._

_Still the Jedi leapt around her like a maddened gizka, and with each successful evasion, her master's displeasure continued to grow._

_He is going to punish me, she realized._

_NO!_

_NOT THAT!_

_NEVER AGAIN!_

_Her fury gave her just what she needed she managed to out maneuver the old fool. He had over extended, perhaps he had been eager to end it. Perhaps he realized that his strength was fading again._

_She took full advantage._

"_Kill him. Avaryss," Feer shouted._

"_Kill him NOW!"_

_What do you think I'm doing master, she wanted to spit back, but held her tongue._

_She brought her blade around, the Jedi tried to back pedal, but was too slow._

_Her blade found his heart; it punched through his chest, skewering him like a roller fish on a harpoon._

_The Jedi's blade fell from his grasp, she could hear, him trying to breathe, the croaking rattle of a dying man._

_She grinned triumphantly._

_I got you, you old fool. I got you and now…"_

"_Keera?"_

_She blinked._

_What?_

_What had the old fool said?!_

_It was at that moment, with the Jedi spitted on her lightsaber that she finally got a good look at him, at the face that had been all but hidden beneath that hood._

_No, she thought._

_Oh no!_

_She turned off her blade and a fell to his knees before her; he looked up at her, a look of confusion on his handsome face._

_It was not Master Venari she had been fighting._

_It was not Master Venari that she had killed._

"_Keera," Fenn Shadowstone said his eyes wide with both fear and betrayal._

"_Why?" he gasped as he fell at her feet. He was dying, slipping away, but still he held her gaze, refusing to look away._

"_Why," repeated._

"_Why?"_

_She swallowed hard._

_She had no answer._

"_No," she murmured._

_She could feel him slipping away._

"_NO!"_

_She was at his side. She pulled him into her arms. She could feel his life slipping away. She held him close to her, her dream friend, the only person that truly understood._

_Despite the differences that had developed between them…she still hoped that they could find common ground. That in time he would come to see the galaxy the way she did. That he would…_

_She shook her head._

_Now was not the time to think of what might be, focus on what was. _

_I can fix this, she thought, I can do this!_

_A spell can…_

"_What do you think you are doing apprentice?"_

_Darth Feer stood over her, his features hidden by a heavy black cloak._

_She could hear the anger and disdain in his voice._

"_What do you think you are doing?!"_

_She snarled with barely contained fury._

_Damn you, she thought._

_Look at what you made me do?!_

_She acted without thought, with barely realizing what was going on._

_Her sword was in her hands, she whirled on her master, her blade coming around, striking at his head in lethal arc._

_It never had the chance to find its mark._

_He caught her mid-leap, his hand tightening around her throat._

_She coughed amazed by his speed._

_He is still a master, she realized._

_She should have never tried to push this, not yet, but she had._

_Now…all she could do was win._

_She tried to struggle but it was no use, his huge hand was like a vice._

_She blinked._

_Huge hands? Huge __**crimson**__ hands?!_

_She gasped her red eyes widening in disbelief._

_It was not Darth Feer who had been egging her on. It was not her master that had been growing more and more displeased with her performance._

_Two golden eyes glared out at her from beneath the cowl of a very familiar hooded cloak._

"_You disappoint me my love," Fehl growled at her as he tightened his grip._

"_You disappoint me…greatly."_

_Avaryss had no words!_

_It…it could not be._

_It couldn't._

_She struggled to talk._

"_Fehl…my love…I…URK!"_

_His fingers continued to tighten, cutting off both her words and her breath._

_The large pure-blood sneered._

"_You have forgotten me," he spat._

_She shook her head no._

"_You have," he said glaring at her, "You took everything that was mine, and now you have forgotten about me, are trying to replace me?_

_He pointed down at Fenn's body._

"_You want to replace me, with that!"_

"_No", she wanted to say, "Fehl…my darling…you don't understand!"_

_She wanted to tell him about Fenn, what they had shared as children. She wanted to tell him that he was wrong, __**he **__was her darkest knight; __**he**__ was the one she wanted in her life and in her bed. __**He**__ was the one she wanted to rule at her side._

_Yet all she could do was gurgled pathetically._

_He sneered at her._

"_You are a liar, Avaryss," Fehl spat, "You lie to both me and yourself."_

_Fehl pulled down his hood._

_She gasped in horror at what she saw._

_Fehl's handsome pure blood features were no longer handsome. They were marred by both pain and death. _

_His crimson skin had turned a dark pink, the fleshy tendrils that had hung so elegantly from his jaw were as dead and limp as dry grass. His hair had fallen out leaving a peeling dead skin. She might have been wrong but she thought she could see his skull poking through his withered scalp. The worse thing was his eyes. They were the only part of Fehl that appeared truly alive._

_They blazed with hatred and anger, and now…all that hatred and anger was directed at her._

_No, Fehl, she wanted to sob_

_No._

_He smiled at her, his lips were crusty, bloody, and peeling, small holes had opened in his cheeks, weeping fluid and showing his dark black gums. _

"_Kiss me, my love," he chortled, "I've missed you so."_

_She struggled as he pulled her closer, she could smell death on him, the scent terrified her more than any wounds his body had. She tried to raise her blade, but it had fallen from her hand._

_She thought she heard something crack in her neck. She sobbed._

_No._

_Please no._

_Fehl!_

_No._

_He held her tightly, one hand around her throat, another around her waist, crushing her to him._

_Crushing her…period._

"_You are mine", he said, "You always will be."_

_His grin widened._

"_We belong together. We belong dead."_

_His grip tightened._

_We're dead", he purred, pulling her lips to his._

"_You're dead."_

_NO!_

IOI

Avaryss' eyes snapped open; she struggled against whatever was digging into her waist. Her breath whispered through a ventilator mask.

Her eyes widened with horror.

For the briefest of moments she thought she was back on Korriban, back in her weakest state, back to being force to wear a respirator mask and stumble her way down the dark path.

The air she breathed tasted of kolto, the scent of it made her stomach roil. It was a taste and scent she had come to despise during her time as a student.

It was the taste and smell of weakness.

Was it any wonder that she had come to despise it, and fear its return?

Panic seized her; she struggled trying to rip the mask off her face.

Something stabbed her in the back of the neck, a feeling of warmth ran down her body.

Panic faded and in its place was apathy, warm gentle apathy.

She did not want to struggle, she simply wanted to float and drift away.

It was in that moment that she realized where she was.

Bubbles floated past her face, coming from her air mask. She stared out through a wall of glass; the world outside was blurry, but not so blurry that she did not recognize her own medical bay. The mask she wore was not like the respirator the medical droids back on Korriban had installed, it was too small, too…breakable.

It was an oxygen mask, the type used in submersion therapy.

That was why everything smelled of kolto, why her movements were so sluggish.

No wonder I can't move, she realized.

I'm floating in a kolto tank.

I must have been injured…badly injured.

She sighed.

It did not matter now, nothing mattered.

She was floating.

That…was what was important.

It was the only thing that was.

She thought she saw someone moving outside the tank, but did not have the desire to call attention to herself.

She was drifting away, floating away on a cloud of sweet pain killers.

She closed her eyes.

Things were confused; right now all she wanted to do was sleep.

She would make sense of what was going on later.

For now she simply wanted to rest.

Yes.

Rest was good.

IOI

The next time her eyes opened, her head was clear, no nightmares reached out to drag her back down into their depths. No one she loved tried to attack her or curse her for a fool.

We belong dead.

Those words still echoed through her mind; that and the feel of cold dead lips on hers.

Avaryss' eyes narrowed as she stared out from the tank. She shook her head, trying to clear away the last of the cobwebs, the last strands of the horrible nightmare.

Fehl was gone, at least…until she brought him back, and when she did it would not be as a corpse.

She would succeed, that was part of her path to power. She just had to have the strength to endure.

_All power comes at a price_, she thought, _nightmares are part of that price._

To achieve her goals, she was more than willing to pay it.

A red light flashed off to her right, she noticed a sudden change, bubbles filled the space around her, as the kolto that she was floating in began to drain, the level dropping away from her head.

She did not try to move until her feet touched the bottom, until the blowers dried her pale skin, and made sure that all the remaining kolto was now in the reclamation vats, that it was being processed so that it could be used again. She removed the air mask as the front of the tank finally opened. Beric and 2V-R9 awaited her release.

She smiled at the two.

"A welcoming committee for me," she said dryly, "You shouldn't have."

She took one step, and almost fell flat on her face.

Beric was there to catch her. She wrapped her arms around him, offering up a rare show of affection between them.

"Easy, Keera," he murmured, "Don't push yourself."

He gave her a wry smile.

"I would not want to take command again so soon."

She snorted at that.

"Are we away from the planet then?" she asked, "Where are we?"

"In hyperspace, on our way back to Sith territory, I can't say for certain if the Jedi had any means of calling for help, but I felt it best to be away quickly, just in case."

Avaryss nodded.

It had been a wise decision on her brother's part.

She had not sensed any other Jedi on the planet, but she was reasonably sure that his death was noted in the Force. She had certainly felt it; she could only imagine what the Jedi who had known the old man had felt.

Let their pain flow through the Force, she thought; Let them all know of this Sith victory.

"Any problems with our getaway?" she asked.

Beric frowned.

"Your HK droid almost got left behind," he informed her, "After you were injured it decided to go back towards the village. I ordered him to come aboard, but he informed me that I was _**not **_his master, and that the meat bags needed to answer for your injuries."

Her brother shook his head.

"It took me telling him over the comm that he was going be left behind before he finally came back."

Avaryss pursed her lips.

"I will speak with him, inform him that if I've been rendered unconscious on a mission that you speak with my voice. He will not disobey you again."

"Thanks, it will make things easier moving forward. I do think the droid was worried that you would not be happy with him. He returned with several trophies…gifts for you."

"What gifts? She asked.

Beric showed her.

Avaryss smiled.

Two Jedi lightsabers sat in her brother's hands, that and a familiar looking medallion.

It was the one that the Jedi Master had been wearing.

She almost laughed.

_Perhaps she would not be as cross with HK as she would have normally._

His choice of gifts pleased her.

He would still need to obey Beric if she was ever injured again, but still…

...The droid had done well.

Beric helped her over to the medical bed. She laid down on the cold surface while 2V-R9 activated the medical scanners, making sure that her healing was as complete as it could be.

The droid's presence…surprised her.

Since she had begun her missions, she had seen little of the servant droid. He seemed to take great pains to stay out of her way, or avoid her entirely. Such a reaction was not surprising; after all, Two-Vee had been programmed with standard Sith operating protocols, which meant he existed in almost constant fear of being disassembled for any minor slight.

He need not have worried; Avaryss had grown beyond such petty amusements. Why spend her time thrashing a droid when she had real enemies, when she had crossed swords with _**actual **_Jedi…

…Next to that, there was little to no pleasure in destroying her servant droid.

Plus she would not do that to Holli. If she did decide to have a tantrum and destroy the droid, it would have fallen to their engineer to repair him. The changeling had enough on her plate, Avaryss would not add to it unnecessarily.

She looked up at the droid who was currently fiddling with a data pad.

"How am I doing Too-Vee?" she asked, "Am I fully recovered?"

He nearly dropped the pad, his optical glowed brighter.

"You…are now fully functional again master," he said quickly, not wishing to risk her ire.

"Given the damage you sustained, you must truly be a fortunate organic."

"How bad was I hurt?"

The droid rattled off a series of medical jargon that she did not really understand, but as he did her memory of what had happened after her battle with Master Venari came back to her. As the Force and adrenaline from her fight had ebbed away intense pain had set in. She only just reached her recovering crew when she all but collapsed at their feet. She remembered Beric speaking to her, but could not recall what he had said.

The next thing she knew she was in his arms while the shadow of their ship passed overhead.

"You took a nasty cut in your side, Beric informed her, "Damaged some of your vital organs, worse was the cut on your leg, your right foot had been almost severed with a lightsaber."

Her brother shuddered.

"The only thing that probably saved it was your boot."

Avaryss looked down at her leg; there was now a bright red scar on her ankle right where her foot met her leg.

I thought I only sprained it, that I came down wrong after I jumped.

She shook her head.

Praise the Emperor for modern medicine.

She could feel her brother's eyes on her body, or rather the scarring that she had acquired in the last three years.

"The life of a Sith apprentice is not an easy one," she said dismissively, "You succeed or you perish, that is the way of things."

He nodded, but it was clear from what she was feeling that he did not entirely understand.

He likely never would.

"How long have I been out?" she asked.

"Ten point five hours," the droid informed her, "It took that long to stabilize your injuries and get you into the tank."

"Two-Vee was able to treat the wound in your side, a lightsaber cauterizes as it cuts so the damage was contained, though it was touch and go on the foot; we thought we might have to take you to a medical station, perhaps for a cybernetic replacement."

She wiggled the toes on the injured foot; there was a slight numbness, but no pain.

She looked at the droid and smiled.

"Well done, Two-Vee," she said, "You have served your master well."

"I'm pleased to having done so master, no one wishes to be dismembered, a fact we Two-Vee models understand too well."

His comment intrigued her, _were her fellow Sith __**that**__ hard on their servant droids?_

Beric handed her a robe to which she was grateful, a few moments later Rink found his way into the medical bay, his usual cocky grin on his face.

"So," he said dryly, "This is what it looks like when a Sith defeats a high Jedi Master?"

"No," Avaryss replied, "This is what it looks like when a Sith barely survives a fight with a High Jedi Master and two of his flunkies."

She shook her head.

She should have expected treachery, Jedi were a duplicitous as they were arrogant.

She would not make such a mistake again.

Report, Mister Rink," she said, "Have we had any news from home?"

"From House Feer, we have heard nothing," he said, "They probably have other matters to tend to."

Rink was not wrong, she thought, Despite refusing Lady Synestra's recall order, it was highly likely that her master and Feore continued to be engaged in whatever was going on in the Zahn system.

She found herself thinking about the vision she had had of her master back on the planet. She remembered sensing his fear, and the creatures that had been attacking him.

_Perhaps I __**should**__ head for the Zahn system, see if I'm needed._

"You had a call while you were out," Rink continued, "That Dark Lord, the one you contacted regarding the Jedi. He said for you to make contact with him as soon as you were back on your feet."

Avaryss cursed under her breath.

She would have rather not had Baras know that she had been injured, still…nothing to do about that now.

She slid off the table and teetered unsteadily on her feet, Beric was there once again to steady her, to which she was most grateful.

"I will speak with him now," she informed Rink, "History is on the march, my friends, and those that cannot keep up with be left behind."

She made her way unsteadily down the corridor.

She had done what Baras had wanted, and gained further information on the conspiracy.

She was eager to see Baras' reaction to what she had learned from Venari.

This threat to the Empire had gone on for too long.

It was time to end it.

IOI

"It is pleasing to see you recovered, youngster," Baras said his amusement rippling through the Force.

"It would have been a shame for the Empire to lose such a loyal servant."

"I'm hard to kill, Lord Baras," she replied, "And I'm also use to being rewarded for a successful mission. Master Venari is no more; you owe me what you know about Xen Loor and Sy Dar Bynn."

She smiled broadly.

"I trust you have something useful for me."

"I think you will find this most useful, young one," the old Sith replied, if he took offense to her demand he did not show it. Perhaps he was still trying to cultivate her as an ally…?

If so she was willing to play along.

You are a means to an end, old man, no more, no less, she thought. No doubt Baras thought the same of her, but in that at least, they shared common ground.

We both want what is in our best interest. The fact that it benefits the Empire as well is just icing on the cake.

She smiled.

She had no problem with the dark lord seeking to feather his own nest at her expense, why not? She was more than willing to do the same.

She listened closely as Baras told her what he had learned about the Jedi Master and his Padawan, with luck…it would give her some idea on how best to strike next.

"Sy Dar Bynn has long been an ally of the Republic Senate. He has served as a personal adviser to several of their Chancellors, and serves as a member of several Senate committees," Baras began, "He has also often worked to sway the Jedi Council on matters that the Senate deem to be…within the Jedi sphere of influence. His record suggests that he values the opinion of those in power far more than the members of the Jedi Council."

Avaryss nodded. What she was hearing reinforced what she had learned from Brandol Venari, and helped explain why a Jedi might choose to work against his vaunted code.

"So he is more politician than a warrior?"

"Some might say that," Baras agreed, "He was not often seen on the battlefield during the last war, choosing to remain behind on Coruscant where he was close to his allies in the Republic government. He was apparently on Coruscant when the Jedi Temple was sacked. My sources tell me that he was not there himself, and that he was among the loudest voices against the treaty, though he quickly changed his tune when he realized that he did not have the support of his allies. It is said that he was a member of the Republic delegation that signed the treaty. Of course, that does not mean that he completely abandoned his former stance. Everything that I've seen suggests that he never truly accepted the peace, and never believed that it would last, and, since that time, has worked diligently with various Republic agencies to ensure that such an attack will not be possible again."

She smiled.

"Do you count the Republic SIS among those agencies, my lord?"

"I do," he said with a nod, "I take it you believe that Sy Dar Bynn is the mastermind behind all our recent troubles?"

"Master Venari suggested as much. I do not think he expected me to live long enough to tell anyone else about that, so I doubt that he was lying."

Baras snorted.

"Typical Jedi arrogance," he spat, "I've seen similar behavior in other Jedi that I've encountered."

"Like Noman Karr?" she asked.

She felt a chill through the Force, she could not see Baras' face, but knew that he was frowning.

Clearly, that was a name he did not like being reminded of.

"He is one such Jedi, yes," Baras agreed, "But he is far from the only one."

Avaryss moved quickly to change the subject, not wanting to further anger the dark lord.

I did throw him off balance though, she thought, that always was useful when dealing with someone more powerful.

"What do you know about Xen Loor?" Avaryss asked, "Any reason why she might be so willing to violate the Jedi Code?"

"Xen Loor is seen as something of a hero by the Jedi Order," Baras informed her, "She is one of the few who survived our assault on the Jedi temple, and with the aid of some fellows saved the lives of many Jedi younglings."

Baras radiated distaste at the girl's act. "The whole point of the mission in the temple had been to cripple the order, which included the death of all the future Jedi."

"They even gave the girl and her allies a pet name, referring to them as the 'Padawan Pack.'"

Avaryss blinked.

The Padawan Pack?

Fenn's group?

The realization should not have been so surprising.

So, she realized, Xen Loor was a friend of Fenn's. The realization brought up emotions that she had not expected.

She imagined the two of them in the dark tunnels beneath Coruscant, frightened and alone. She imagined the girl touching his arm, looking for support…for comfort.

Jealousy blazed through her unbidden, had the girl been standing beside her, she likely would have ended up missing a head.

"Is something wrong, youngster," Baras inquired, "You look…distracted.

She cursed silently, and did her best to restore her mental shields.

"It is nothing, my lord, merely a lingering pain from my now healed injuries."

She put on a bland face.

"Tell me more about this Padawan Pack."

"As I said, the Jedi view them as heroes, though it is interesting to note that only three of the five leaders chose to remain in the order after the treaty was signed."

Baras chuckled.

"Perhaps they did not feel themselves worthy of the acclaim they had earned."

Avaryss remembered what Fenn had told her, about the anger and sense of betrayal that he had felt when they emerged from the lower levels to discover that the Jedi had given up on the war. She also remembered the clumsy attack that the Jedi girl had used when she had killed the men on the listening post.

Avaryss smiled.

Fenn had learned to work through his rage. Master Jas had helped him deal with it. If this Xen shared such emotions, perhaps she was more useful than she realized.

An idea began to form in the young Sith's mind. It was delicious, and perhaps not easily pulled off, but if she did.

She could topple the entire conspiracy in a matter of days!

Sy Dar Bynn was no fool; everything she had seen up to this point suggested that. He had organized his conspiracy into cells. She had managed to destroy several of those, but that was not enough. She could spend the next ten years clearing out Sy Dar Bynn's allies, and she doubted that the Empire had that kind of time. As soon as the Jedi realized what was going on, he would intensify his attacks. The ambitions of her fellow Sith, and the lack of guidance from the Emperor, would be all the Jedi would need to see his goal accomplished, namely, the collapse of the Empire itself.

No, she could not risk it. The longer this went on the more danger the Empire was in.

She was tired of chasing the tail of this particular snake. The time has come to strike at the head.

Cut off the head, and the body would die.

"I have another favor to ask of you, my lord," she said, "One that will serve both us and the Empire as a whole."

"And what might that be, child?" he inquired.

"Why…the chance to be a hero of course, and all the glory and prestige that go with it, and best of all, you will not have to lift a finger to earn it."

The Dark Lord scratched his chin.

"You have my attention," he admitted, "What is it you would have me do?"

"I'm guessing from what you have told me that you have agents close to both the Senate and Jedi. I want you to pass a message to Master Sy Dar Bynn. Let him know who it is that has been pursuing his agents so doggedly, and more important, the location where that person might be found."

Baras chuckled.

"You wish to call the man out?"

"I wish to offer him an opportunity to eliminate a thorn that has been poking him. If he values his plans, so much, he might just decide to come and deal with the matter himself."

"Or he could just send five SIS commando teams to simply wipe you out."

"Which is why we should stage this…encounter in Hutt space," she suggested, the Hutt's neutrality treaty should be enough to ensure the Jedi does not pull anything too…cute."

"And what makes you think that he will come himself?"

"The knowledge that the one he is looking for killed his master," she grinned, "If he is willing to violate the code over the sacking of Coruscant, what would he do to the one who killed his former teacher?"

Baras considered this, no doubt weighing the value of giving her what she wanted against the risk to himself and his organization.

Finally, he laughed.

"My agents will sing this song for you, girl, though you might not be glad that they did. Sy Dar Bynn is a crafty one. He may not dance to the tune you call, and if he does catch you by surprise…"

"If he does, than you are out nothing, Lord Baras," she reminded him, "But should I succeed, if I should behead the conspiracy…"

She grinned.

"What rewards would the dark council offer to the two Sith that managed to accomplish that, I wonder?"

"And what of Darth Feer, child," he asked, "Are you not going to consult your master? This plan may not be to his liking."

"He charged me with ending the conspiracy," she said, "When that goal is accomplished, I doubt that he will care how it was done, not when he stands to profit so from my victory. I'm his apprentice after all, where else would the rewards go but to my master?"

Yet at the same time, she thought, everyone knows that my master is already engaged with his own issues. When I succeed it will serve as the perfect springboard and introduction to the higher ups in the Empire. Who knows, maybe even the dark council will take notice of my ingenuity?

And it will all be mine, Feer will be commended, but the victory will be mine.

My dear master will not be able to take that from me.

Finally, Baras nodded.

"I will put the words into the right ears," he promised, "Sy Dar Bynn will know your name, and what you have done."

The Dark Lord stood straighter.

"I would gird myself if I were you child. Do not underestimate Sy Dar Bynn. The man is a slippery one. If he has anticipated this move, he might have something already planned."

"Let him try," she said, "I destroyed his master, he **will **remember that."

"I'm sure he will," Baras agreed, "You should lay low while my agents do their work. If you do not hear from me, you will likely hear from Sy Dar Bynn directly, from there you will be free to carry out your plan as you see fit."

"Thank you, Lord Baras," she said bowing slightly, "Once again you have proven yourself a friend of both the order and the Empire."

The Dark Lord laughed.

"Your pleasantries are wasted on me; girl, but I do appreciate your words. May the Force serve you well, youngster."

"And you as well, my lord," she said bowing again, "Long live the Empire!"

"Indeed, young one," he said.

"Long Live the Empire!"


	49. A Loyal Daughter

**Chapter 49: A Loyal Daughter**

Darth Baras had advised her to lay low and wait for him to contact her. Avaryss had decided to take that advice, and ordered Rink to bring them out of hyperspace and set course for one of the more…outlier space stations within the Empire. Finding such a place was not difficult; the Empire had expanded quickly since the signing of the Treaty of Coruscant. Dozens of supply and trade stations had popped up since the war had ended. Once again proving the superiority to the Empire over their Republic rivals

The Republic Senate would never have been able to move so quickly to consolidate new holdings. Only the Sith had the strength and skill to see such progress come to pass.

Was it any wonder why they had won the last war?

The station was familiar to Avaryss, or rather, its design was. In many ways it reminded her of the pleasure stops that the Empire had established for their acolytes to use during their brief stops between the various Sith Academies in the Empire.

She smiled slightly at the familiar sight, remembering her own training, her own adventures on such stations.

These were memories to be treasured that was for sure.

According to the ship's computer, the station here was used primarily for shipping military supplies to the Empire's newer holdings. It had a full crew compliment, somewhere between five hundred and six hundred soldiers and officers. The establishments offered visitors were not as extensive as one of the pleasure stations would have been, but there was several cantinas and even a fighting pit if one wished to test themselves.

As good a place as any to stop and wait, she thought, who knew how long it would take Darth Baras' agents to carry out their mission, quickly, she hoped.

She had no desire to give her enemies time to prepare a response to her recent actions. She wanted the conspirators angry and emotional.

It would make things easier, she had a plan, but everything needed to move quickly.

She hoped that the Dark Lords agents worked quickly.

She called her crew together before she allowed them to disembark. She was not really worried about Holli or Beric, they were both career military, they knew how to behave themselves around Sith and Imperial personal.

Quenya and Rink, however, she wanted to make sure they understood what they were getting into.

"If there are any Sith Acolytes on this station, do nothing to provoke them," she warned, "Most are only just learning about who they are, and their place in the dark side, when a person wields such power they can be…unpredictable."

"What could happen," Rink asked, "Would someone try to kill me for looking at them funny?"

"I would like to say no, but…"

Rink frowned.

"You're serious?"

Avaryss gave a cruel smile.

"Deadly serious, do not provoke anyone. I will have my comlink on, if trouble does seem eminent, contact me, my place as a Darth's apprentice should go far to diffusing any situation."

"What if you are being indisposed," Quenya asked.

Avaryss shrugged.

"Then pray that you are stronger than the one threatening you."

Both the former street rat and the Devish looked at each other.

Avaryss was not trying to scare them, but they needed to be mindful.

Sith acolytes could be dangerous, she knew that very well.

She had been quite dangerous herself during her time as a acolyte, she had felt the heady sensation of dark side power, to one so…unseasoned, unused to having such authority, that power could be too tempting to resist.

The young Sith shook her head, she knew what it was like, that feeling of almost invincibility, she had felt it herself once.

It could make someone foolish.

It had only been about two years since she had begun her apprenticeship under Darth Feer, and yet, her days as an acolyte now seemed like a lifetime ago. Her duties and missions had all but consumed her, her accomplishments and desires eclipsing those of the girl that had fled Oridanna in a cargo container so long ago.

Keera Lylos' life seemed like a dream to her now, barely remembered. Now that she truly thought about it, she was surprised by something. She tried to recall her family their faces, and the sound of their voices, she found that she couldn't.

A shiver ran down her spine.

Had she come so far that the past no longer mattered? She could not decide if that was a good thing, or a bad thing.

Let go of the past, the darkness whispered in her ear.

The future belongs to those strong enough to seize it.

You must be strong!

She smiled slightly.

"Enjoy yourselves but remain mindful," she said, "And be ready to move at a moment's notice, as soon as we have confirmation of our target's location, we will need to move swiftly.

Her crew nodded, they seemed as ready as they would ever be.

She dismissed them with a gesture. She had some things she wanted to accomplish before she left the ship. Two-Vee and HK would keep an eye on things in their absence, but there were some matters she wished to handle privately.

The visions she had seen back before her fight with Venari still held sway over her.

She wanted to do some research while the memory of what she had seen was still fresh, and she wanted to check in with Taya, it had been too long since they had been able to speak…unfettered.

She was eager to see what her ally had learned, and how it might impact her future endeavors.

Who knew, Taya might even have some more information on what was going on in the Zahn system.

Whatever was happening in her master's holdings, it was enough to draw the attention of several dark council members.

She wanted to know, and given Taya's distance from the events, she might have heard things that people in House Feer had chosen to keep quiet.

She remembered sensing her master's fear, and the things chasing him.

What is going on my lord, she thought with a smile…

…and how can I turn it to my advantage?

She returned to her quarters, she had a small hyper-comm there, one with a built in scrambler for private conversations.

She would contact Tay from there.

She was eager to hear what her friend had heard if anything.

Knowledge was power after all, and that is what she needed.

Power.

IOI

"Whatever was going on I think it is over."

Avaryss frowned as she stared down at the tiny image of her friend. Taya was still on Dromund Kaas, which meant she had access to a lot of rumors, but few hard facts.

"What makes you say that," she inquired, "Has there been any news? Has your master heard anything?"

"Nothing beyond what is to be expected," her friend replied, "reports of fleet movements, ships being stopped from entering the system, or having their flight plans aborted by Citadel control."

Taya shook her head.

"Whatever is going on, it is above what either me or my master is cleared to know."

She leaned in closer, her head filling the holo, making it look twice the size that it actually was.

It might have been amusing had Avaryss been in the mood.

"I did hear from my father, apparently one of his trade vessels were destroyed near a planet in the Zahn system."

"How did he find out about it?" Avaryss asked.

"Citadel control informed him, and apparently he is not the only one, apparently several of his associates also lost ships, and that is not all. There have been…rumors, according to my father; something similar happened to one his associates who do business in Republic space, a planet completely sealed off. No one is quite sure why…?"

"Is this what happened in the Zahn system? Was a planet sealed off? Did your father and his friends all lose ships in the same area?"

"He couldn't really speak about it, apparently," Taya sighed, "I only managed to hear about it in passing when I was speaking to my mother on holo."

"Something weird is going on Avy. You don't need the Force to know that is true."

Avaryss nodded.

Taya was not wrong.

There **was** something strange going on.

Though it was not unusual for Sith Citadel control to reroute ships, the decision to completely block off a planet _**was**_ a new one.

She could not say for certain what reason they might have had. What would have prompted the Council to respond in such a way?

Plus, if Taya was right, it was happening in the Republic too. What events could prompt bot the Empire and the Republic to take the same measures? The isolation of a planet suggested…what…a quarantine?

What kind of quarantine affected a whole planet? She had never heard of a disease spreading that fast. She heard tales of planets being isolated in the past because they had been newly discovered, and had had diseases that the populous was immune to, but those quarantines had only lasted long enough for the space faring culture to take blood samples and create a vaccine.

But those had all been isolated incidents, what Taya was suggesting was that a known world had needed to be isolated, and that fact once again led back to her initial question.

What kind of disease or incident could have provoked such a response, not just in the Empire, but possibly the Republic as well?

I need to know more, she thought.

I _**must **_know more.

"Keep listening," Avaryss said, "If you hear anything more, contact me immediately, I'm in the middle of something right now, but as soon as it is done, I'm going to have to deal with this."

Avaryss' crimson eyes narrowed.

"Whatever is going on involves my house, and I can't afford to be kept in the dark about it."

"I understand," Taya said, "Speaking of House Feer, I've learned something recently, something you wanted me to take a look at for you."

"The picture I found in Lady Synestra's room," she said, "What have you found?"

Taya smiled gamely.

"As it turns out, your master **does** have a daughter. Finding out anything about her however, was a serious chore."

"How serious?"

"So serious that the girl has guards watching her movements, most would have called it a waste of time, I probably would have if I had not known who she was.

"And who exactly is my master's daughter," Avaryss demanded, "What have you managed to find out?"

"Her name is Cynn apparently; she is seventeen years old and works as a filing clerk for the office of Imperial supply."

Avaryss frowned.

"She works for supply?"

"Yes."

"…A dark lord's daughter working as a clerk in the supply office?"

Taya smiled.

"Not what you expected is it? I'm guessing the girl did not feel so either, but I doubted she had much choice."

"Why is that?"

Taya laughed.

"It took a bit of digging on my part, but according to what I've heard from the girl's coworkers, she had little choice, she was something of a…embarrassment to the family.

"What could she have done to embarrass her parents that badly," Avaryss inquired.

"It wasn't what she did," Taya said, "It is what she is."

Her friend's smile turned into a full blown grin.

"From what I've heard, the girl's Force potential is almost non-existent. Most of the people that she works with do not even realize that her parents are full Sith, and the girl seems to go out of the way to not mention that they are."

Avaryss blinked.

"She has little Force potential?"

"That is what I've heard."

"Have you checked into that?"

"I've reached out to the girl with the Force if that is what you mean," Taya answered, "I felt her emotions, but could barely sense the dark side within her. I don't even think she realized that I was touching her mind."

Avaryss' friend shook her head.

"I cannot imagine that went over well with the father and mother. Can you imagine, Avy? Being born with two Force sensitive parents and being so…so…mundane?"

Avaryss grinned.

_Finally,_ she thought.

_What a most interesting scandal!_

Was this the reason that Neither Lord Feer or Lady Synestra chose to speak of their daughter, their eldest child?

Was this the reason why that Darth Feer had sought her out in the first place? If it was so, it showed a definite sense of weakness on her master's part.

He threw away his own child because she could never be the Sith he wanted, and in trying to replace that girl, he took on me.

Avaryss shook her head.

No wonder Lady Synestra hated her so. She probably saw her as a usurper trying to take her daughter's place, a daughter that even she could not accept because of how weak she was, how she had been born. Her master's daughter was a simple mundane born of two Force rich parents.

In the higher circles of Sith politics, it would be a scandal to be sure. It might even draw into question their union. Bael might have been strong in the Force, but his person weaknesses would be his end one day.

Of course sending his child away did say something about Darth Feer. It showed her master's commitment to the dark side, not wishing to be bound to such a weak family member, but perhaps…the girl might still have some use.

_I will need to think on this_, Avaryss thought, _in the puzzle of destroying my master; I think I've just found a big piece._

She ordered Taya to continue watching the girl, but to do so…carefully. She had no desire to tip her master off to what she had discovered.

She erased any record of her communication with Taya, just in case any of her master's agents had access to her ship's systems. She then decided to go out into the station herself, to revel a little.

The young Sith grinned.

It had been some time since she had had a chance to truly cut loose and enjoy herself. It would have been better had Taya been at her side, more…enjoyable, but she was not above getting into a little trouble herself.

For the moment, everything was moving in a way that favored her plans. The conspiracy was drifting into her sights, and now…she had a new lever to pull against her master. When the time came, she would not be above using the girl to serve her ends.

It is all coming together she thought with a smile.

All she needed to do now…was wait.

IOI

"Boss?"

Avaryss groaned and rolled over in her bed, it felt like she had only just lay down.

She had enjoyed a lovely bottle of Alderaani wine. It had been a gift for her, on the house at station's cantina, proof of their place as a loyal establishment.

Avaryss had finished it in one sitting. The pleasures of the port had little interest to her beyond that. There had been several acolytes in the establishment, but they had needed to be removed, a fight had started over something, Avaryss was not entirely sure what it was, but she suspected that she might have been a part of it.

Perhaps those students had been trying to impress her, hoping to draw the attention of a full Sith, not realizing that she was still an apprentice herself.

Not that it mattered; she already had one Force sensitive follower with her. She had no desire to add another, not yet, anyway.

No, all she had wanted was sleep, but even that was being interrupted.

She tried to ignore it, to go back to sleep.

Whatever it was, she thought dimly, it can keep until morning.

She heard a loud pounding, then the sound of the ship's alarm

That sound finally woke her up, she sat up quickly, both fully alert, and also enraged!

What?! What the…?!

She glared.

**What in the Emperor's name was going on?**

"Boss, you gotta get up! We got incoming!

Rink's words penetrated the haze of rage and tiredness.

Avaryss leapt to her feet and pulled her lightsaber into her hand.

_Incoming,_ she thought, _an attack?!_

Her eyes narrowed.

_Was it the Republic?!_

_Had the war finally come?_

She wrapped a robe around herself and made for the door, it opened with barely a hiss. Rink had to jump back to prevent being ran over. The warning siren continued to blare, not a good thing when a Sith was nursing a slight hangover.

"What is going on?" she demanded, "Someone turn off that damn alarm!"

As if by the Force itself the alarm finally stopped. It did not take Avaryss long to realize that the ship was in motion, and Rink was standing before her.

"What is going on," she repeated, "Who is at the controls?"

"Quenya," Rink said quickly, "She agreed to watch the helm while I came and got you."

Avaryss gave him a cold look.

"Where are Beric and Holli?"

"Still on the station," Rink informed her, "Control was adamant, we got a ship coming in and it _**cannot**_ reach the station."

"Under whose authority," Avaryss asked.

"The Dark Council," the pilot said, "According to the dock master all ships were ordered off the station and to make sure the one coming in does not land."

Avaryss digested what was being said.

The Dark Council had the authority to issue such a command, sure, but why?

What was so important that they not even give the ship the chance to dock?

She pushed past Mister Rink and made for the bridge, he followed in her wake, and the two of them found Quenya sitting in the co-pilot's chair, her fingers dancing quickly over the controls.

"The enemy ship is being off our port side," the Devish said, "I have brought the weapons systems online."

She looked over her shoulder and smiled at Avaryss.

"We are awaiting your kill order," she said confidently, "We are now being at your command."

Avaryss said nothing; she merely continued to evaluate the girl.

She had had no idea that the other girl knew how to fly a starship, but perhaps it should not have come as so much a surprise. Jedi were often required to go on missions all over Republic space, often traveling by shuttle or long range starfighters.

If the girl was expected to accomplish such missions, of course she would have been trained to pilot, it made perfect sense.

It seemed that Quenya had been hiding a few things from her, good.

Avaryss smiled.

Her willingness to lie hinted at a bright future among the Sith, it was wise never to reveal everything about yourself, holding something in reserve could make the difference between victory and defeat.

She was…slightly impressed.

Rink slid past her and into the pilot's seat. Through the blackness of the void they could just now make out the advancing ship. It was moving slowly, the way it was listing suggested that it had sustained heavy damage.

"Have you identified the vessel?" Avaryss asked.

"It is being Sith, most definitely," Quenya answered, "Scans are suggesting that it is another Fury class interceptor."

_A Sith vessel_, Avaryss thought with a frown.

"Now why would the council want another Sith ship destroyed?

A brief glance out the viewport revealed that the council's order was being taken seriously; she counted no less than three other ships following close behind them in a ragged formation.

Her Fury was both the largest and most heavily armed of their little group. It was unsurprising that the other ships were looking for them to be the tip of the spear.

She also could not sense any other dark lords aboard the other vessels, she sensed acolytes perhaps, but no one whose own Force potential gave her pause.

If she was the highest ranked Sith here, so be it.

She would carry out the council's orders.

Avaryss regarded the damaged ship with a sense of…eagerness.

If the council wanted the ship destroyed, who was she to argue?

"Lock weapons on target," she said.

"Let's make sure that the council's order is obeyed."

The comm system suddenly lit up, the red light signaling an open transmission being broadcast on all frequencies, both holo and audio.

The other Sith vessels began to slow.

"What is it?" Avaryss asked.

"We are receiving a signal from the enemy," Quenya said, "I am being patching it in now."

There was a brief sound of static from the comm, and then a strong commanding voice filled the bridge.

"This is Lord Farshaw to all approaching ships. By order of House Farshaw, and in the name of the Emperor, I am ordering you all to stand down, and escort me safely to the station. I…I require medical attention and will be most displeased if I am delayed any further. Repeat, this is Lord Farshaw of House Farshaw; you will all stand down…"

Rink killed the audio. He glanced over his shoulder at Avaryss.

"Looks like one of the dark lords are aboard that ship, boss," he said lamely, "What are we gonna do?"

Avaryss frowned.

She had never heard of the name Lord Farshaw before, but that did not really matter. There were many lords in the empire, all bowing to the Emperor and the dark council.

If there was a lord on that ship, they were all required by law to aid him, but at the same time, the kill order from the council…?

This could have something to do with the conspiracy, the darkness within whimpered, what if some dark council member has been manipulated into having an issue with Lord Farshaw?

Killing the man could be playing right into the hands of her enemy.

She reached out with the Force to the damaged vessel, trying to get an idea of what kind of Sith this Lord Farshaw was, If he was who he says he was, then she could…

What she felt from that ship nearly knocked her over, the mere sensation of what it was made her wail a she staggered back.

Her red eyes widened with fear, her heart beat so fast it felt like it was about to tear through her rib cage.

"Boss? Boss?!"

"Master Avaryss? Master Avaryss are you being all right?!"

She only distantly heard Quenya and Rink's words, her mind with still on the damaged ship, and what she had felt when she touched the minds of the damage ship's crew.

It felt…it felt like nothing she had ever felt before! Like the very Force that surrounded that vessel was being…eaten away. She had sensed the dark lord briefly, felt his fear and panic, panic he had only just managed to hide because of years of experience giving orders to underlings.

The man was terrified, at least it felt like he was, but even that was in question. It felt like he was covered in some type of carnivorous insects and that they were devouring him alive, or rather, his presence in the Force!

It felt like a disease some horrible stain on the Force! She almost retched from the mere sense of it!

The entire interceptor reeked of that strange sensation, if felt diseased. It felt wrong.

She shook her head realizing then that she was on her knees, and that Quenya was standing beside her with a worried look.

"Master Avaryss, we should be getting you to the medical bay," the Devish said.

Avaryss shook her head no, there wasn't time.

"Target the damaged vessel," she ordered, "Kill everything on that ship."

"Boss," Rink said looking over his shoulder, a concerned look on his face, "The other ships have already backed off. That lord said…"

Avaryss reached out with the Force, she grabbed Rink by the throat and began to squeeze.

He gasped, the grip was not hard enough to kill, but it was enough to remind him who was in charge.

"Destroy that ship," Avaryss growled, "NOW!"

Rink did not hesitate this time.

He hit the firing stud on the console.

The Fury's forward weapons blazed to life.

Lord Farshaw should have sensed what was coming, but his ship had not even tried to go evasive. The laser blasts slammed into both the bridge and one of the solar arrays of the enemy Fury. There was a brief flash of light from the damaged ships bridge and it quickly began to spin.

"Do not let up," Avaryss ordered.

"Fire again!"

Their ship slipped past the now disabled vessel Rink brought them around and quickly lit up the vessel again with laser fire. This time the blasts struck the Fury's engines, and fuel cell. It vanished in a flash of light and burst of debris that were now no larger than a drinking cup.

Avaryss shuddered she reached out again with the Force, that sick hungry sensation was finally gone, whatever had caused it had died with Lord Farshaw and whatever men he had had with him.

"Avaryss shivered.

She was still not sure what to make of that.

Rink gave her a sour look, rubbing his neck. She had released her grip, but from the way he was looking at her, he knew what she had done.

"Target destroyed, boss," he said flatly.

She glared at the pilot.

If he expected an apology he would not get it, but that did not mean she had to make the situation worse.

"Well done, mister Rink," she said standing straighter, "I understand your hesitation, but do not let it happen again."

She pinned him with a cool stare.

"When I give an order, it must be obeyed. Am I clear?"

Rink pursed his lips, it looked like he might try to argue with her, but finally he shrugged.

"Sure," he said dismissively, "Sorry, boss, it was…just…that was a dark lord's vessel."

"I know," she said, "But we had orders from higher up. That ship was not to reach the station or any other destination.

At her side, Quenya quivered.

"Did you feel that," the former Padawan asked, "Am I being the only one that felt that horrible sensation, from that ship?"

"No," Avaryss assured her, "I felt it too. We were right to…"

The control panel before them flashed again. Rink looked down to check the readings.

"There is another ship coming in," Rink informed them, "It is big, I think.

The space before them rippled, and then…a Harrier class dreadnaught suddenly transitioned to real space right before them.

Avaryss blinked shocked by the sudden arrival of the massive wedge shaped warship.

Again their comm panel lit up, Rink waited until Avaryss nodded before answering the incoming call.

"Attention all Sith vessels," the cold, and familiar voice, filled the bridge, "This is Darth Marr of the Dark Council. Report your status?"

Avaryss reached over Rink and answered the audio call herself.

"This is Avaryss, Apprentice to Darth Feer. This is an unexpected pleasure, lord councilor; you honor us by your presence."

There was a brief pause, perhaps Marr did not remember who she was, or he had his people checking their ship's identification code.

"Ah yes," the Dark Lord said, "I remember you now. We spoke briefly at the Gathering; you wished to continue the work of Lord Hecaetus?"

"My Lord has an excellent memory," she said bowing her head respectfully, He could not see it of course, but he could no doubt feel her submission through the Force.

"We have no time for pleasantries child," he said quickly, his voice the crack of a whip, "Lord Farshaw? His ship? Did it reach the station?"

"It did not, Lord Marr," she informed him, "I carried out the kill order, myself, Lord Farshaw is no more."

Again there was a brief pause; she could picture Lord Marr standing on his bridge, his hand at his chin, evaluating what she had just told him.

Hopefully she had not made a mistake; hopefully the kill order on Lord Farshaw had been genuine.

"Well done, youngster," Marr finally said, his voice burning away any sense of fear she had felt. "I was concerned that Farshaw's title would have been enough for him to gain access to the station itself. If that had occurred…"

Avaryss did not need to guess what would have happened next.

Marr would have destroyed the station, she realized, whatever Lord Farshaw had brought with him…it couldn't be allowed to spread, if it had reached the station?

"There was a moment of hesitation, my lord," she informed him, "But my crew and I made sure that it did not cripple us."

She stood a little straighter.

"The danger has passed then? Are we now safe?"

"She felt Darth Marr's fatigue, through the Force.

The Dark Lord sighed loudly.

"The danger has only just begun, youngster," He said, "I wish to speak with you in person, set course for my vessel."

"It will be done, my lord," she promised, "Though some of my crew is still on the station, we needed to leave quickly to intercept the enemy vessel."

"Understood," Darth Marr said, ""Go and collect your people then, and return quickly, the Empire may be in peril, all loyal Sith, and those of us that serve the Empire first must rally. This threat must be ended."

Avaryss almost blushed.

Marr saw her as a loyal daughter of the Empire? She liked to think it was true, but…?"

"I shall be their shortly, my lord."

"As soon as possible, girl," he said, "This matter must be dealt with, and swiftly."

The dark lord sighed again.

"Time is not on our side."


	50. The Charge

**Chapter 50: The Charge**

_Careful what you wish for, you just might get it._

It was those words that Avaryss focused on as she was escorted down the long corridors of the Sith warship. At eight hundred meters in length, the Harrower class vessel was the primary command and control vessel of the Imperial navy. It was not surprising to find a Dark Council Member in the field operating from one.

But what sort of operation is this, she wondered. As they had made their approach to the ship's hangar, six more capital ships had joined this one and were now in orbit of the station.

A large operation, she realized, it would need to be if the council itself had gotten involved.

She had no sooner stepped off the boarding ramp of her ship when she had been met by the ship's captain and a full company of Sith troopers, an honor guard, to see her escorted to Lord Marr. Quite the honor considering that she was not even a full lord.

But are they simply an escort, the dark voice within her asked, perhaps the councilor's flattery and invitation was merely to get you aboard.

She frowned.

It did not take much to turn an escort into an execution squad.

She glanced over at the ship's captain, he had said nothing beyond "Welcome aboard, my lord, and follow me please." Her escort was in full battle armor, but that was standard for Sith troopers.

If this is my death, I will not make it easy, she thought, her hand drifting to her belt, but even as it did so, she pulled it back.

You are being paranoid, her conscience chided.

Stop it.

If Darth Marr wished her dead, he could have had her ship blown to atoms when he realized who she was. The loss of a single Fury class interceptor would be barely noticeable to the Imperial navy.

No, if Marr had wanted her dead, she would be dead.

The councilor had something else in mind.

There were Sith in the Empire that spent their entire lives trying to draw the attention of the dark council, to get the chance to impress the twelve most powerful Sith in the Empire. Such attention was a grand opportunity, but it was also…a risk.

Failure at this level was not an option. The Dark Council would tolerate no mistakes. Whatever it was that Lord Marr wanted she would need to be mindful, and tread lightly.

She would do nothing to disgrace herself

The group arrived at a turbo lift and entered without a word, the Captain pressed a button and again they were off, moving higher up in the massive warship.

Avaryss reached out with the Force, trying to get a sense of what awaited her when they reached their destination.

The dark side was quite strong on this vessel, but what would you expect from a ship carrying a Dark Council member? She could sense the grim determination of their soldiers, that and a sense of simmer anger. Whatever these men and women had faced…they took it personally.

Useful in motivating soldiers to fight to the last, she realized.

The turbo lift stopped somewhere near the command deck she figured. Her escort once again led her down a long hall, it ended in a sealed door with two armed guards standing sentry before it.

"Wait here, please," the captain said before stepping forward, the door hissed open and he stepped through.

"Avaryss of House Feer, my lords," the Captain said loudly.

"Send the girl in, Captain," Marr called out.

The officer gestured her forward, he gave a curt military bow as she passed, turning sharply, he headed back the way he came, her escort remaining behind.

Avaryss stepped into the room, an officer's lounge by the look, a single view port made up the wall in front of her, and through that view port she could see a sea of stars and the dreadnaught's support vessels. She saw no less than three Terminus class destroyers and at least two more Harrower class ships.

A full war fleet, she thought, an impressive sight.

Yet, that view was nothing compared to what waited her.

Around the officers table sat four Sith Lords, with Darth Marr himself at the head, and if what she was feeling was accurate, it was safe to say that each and every one of these men were all dark council members, a third of the council's full strength.

She snapped to attention, trying to remember the military discipline that her father had taught her as a child, how to behave in the presence of those clearly above you.

Marr nodded slightly, she could not see his expression of course, the mask and hood he wore hid his features, yet he seemed pleased by the quickness of her arrival.

"Welcome apprentice," Marr said gesturing her forward, "Be seated, we have many questions for you."

"As you wish, my lord," she said respectfully, moving quickly to the table.

The dark lord sitting to Marr's left pounded his fist on the table; the noise was enough to make even Avaryss jump.

The man was human, was dark hair and a red Sith Tattoo adorning his forehead, cybernetic circuits wove their way up both sides of his jaw.

He glared at her.

"This girl has no place here, Marr," he declared, "She is both a poisoner and a coward."

The dark lord shook her head.

"She should have been shoved out an airlock as soon as she came on board."

Normally Avaryss would have responded with anger at such a comment, but given that this man was a dark council member, she recognized that **that** emotion would not serve."

Her eyes did narrow at his words. _Poisoner_ he called her, she should have known.

This was about Fehl, again.

_It was always about Fehl._

She tried to come up with the proper response, but could think of nothing that would keep her out of trouble.

As it turned out she did not need to.

Lord Marr came to her defense.

"The girl is here at my request, Ravage," he spat, "She is here because it serves our needs, her history, at this moment, is irrelevant."

Darth Ravage grumbled but said nothing further.

"It was at that moment that the Sith to Marr's right spoke up. He was tall an almost as pale as Avaryss, a strange armored cowl covered his head, leaving only his pale face visible.

"You under estimate the girl, Ravage," the councilor said, "Baras has spoken well of her; she has proved to be a most useful…resource in dealing with the Empire's enemies."

"I will believe it when I see it Vengean," Ravage responded.

Ah, Avaryss thought.

Darth Vengean, Darth Baras' master, she should have guessed that he would be here. After all Baras did say that his master had gone to tend to matters outside of the Dromund system.

A resource he had called her, she guessed that that word was more respectful than the one he had would have used normally. Pawn, perhaps, dupe, Baras did not strike her as the respectful type when it came to dealing with underlings.

The final dark lord in the room was a Sith pure blood, he sat across from Vengean, but seemed to be trying to distance himself even more. Tall, slender, and elegant with dark hair, his dark red skin and golden eyes seemed even darker in the subdued light of the lounge.

He chuckled softly.

"Pay Ravage no mind, child," he said in a cultured voice, "He growls, but he will not bite unless the rest of us agree that it is the best course of action."

Ravage shot his fellow councilor a cold stare.

"You go too far, Vawrawn, far too far."

Darth Vawrawn merely smiled politely.

Ravage started to rise from his seat.

It only took a glance from Darth Marr to diffuse the situation, you might not have been able to see his eyes, but through the Force…the man's presence was chilling, even to one of his equals on the Council.

"Enough of this," Marr growled, "We have more important things to discuss than waste time sniping at each other, save such behavior for the council chamber, you make us look like fools before the apprentice."

Avaryss said nothing; she was feeling like she was a very small shark in a pond filled with four far larger ones.

Any one of them could consume her with the barest of thought.

She was determined not to give them any reason.

"I am at your service, my lords," she said nodding respectfully, "Whatever it is you need, I can do."

Vawrawn chuckled.

"Well, she does not lack for confidence that is for sure."

"Confidence," Ravage said icily, "Or arrogance."

"That shall be determined soon enough," Vengean said.

Marr nodded, he turned his full attention to Avaryss.

"Tell me girl, to whom do you owe your loyalty? Whom do you serve above all others?"

"The Empire, my lord, of course," she answered.

"And what is the Empire?" he said.

"The Emperor of course, the dark council, my master…and my own interests I suppose."

"In that order," Vengean asked.

"What other order could they be?" she shrugged.

Ravage snorted.

"And what if this council ordered you to bring us your master's head? What would you do then?"

"Lament the fact that I had not had the opportunity to learn everything he knew, and then…well…"

She chuckled.

"Pick out a nice and pretty box to see the head safely to my lords' table."

The four dark lords looked at each other. Vawrawn seemed pleased. Vengean remained unreadable. Ravage radiated barely concealed rage and disdain.

Marr merely nodded.

"Lord Feer is not the reason that I asked you to come aboard, girl. My agents have been watching you. You have done much lately in the service of your master and the Empire. From what I've observed, you are what you claim to be, namely loyal to the Empire as a whole. You've passed up on several opportunities to enrich yourself at the expense of the Empire. I would ask why?"

It was a good question she supposed, but it could be dangerous if she answered incorrectly.

Be careful, the darkness chided.

Be very careful.

"If I had to be honest, my lord, I would have to say my upbringing. I was born the daughter of an Imperial soldier. Loyalty to the Empire has been stressed since I was in the cradle."

She shrugged.

"Not that I'm above feeding my ambitions," She admitted with a sly smile, "If I can find a way for both the Empire and myself to prosper, why not? My experiences on Alderaan taught me much about politics. It is truly a shame that they are not a Sith holding yet. We could benefit greatly from studying Alderaani power-games."

Vengean smirked.

"Well she is certainly more than a mere blade," he said to his fellows, "Perhaps we should consider rejecting House Feer's recent proposal."

"Recent proposal," Avaryss said, "What recent proposal?"

Ravage smile wickedly, while Vawrawn rolled his eyes.

"The council has received a request from House Feer, child," Vawrawn informed her, "Lady Synestra Feer has asked that the council declare you a rogue Sith, and issue an execution order for you."

The pure blood smiled.

"She says you are a danger to us all."

"Oh really," Avaryss responded, her voice taking on a silky dangerous tone.

"And what else has my master's beloved wife said?"

"She said you disobeyed a direct order from your master," Ravage informed her, and that you went off on some pointless crusade, one that you have neither the skill nor the resources to complete."

Pointless, Avaryss thought, unskilled.

That was her opinion.

Avaryss had other ideas.

She kept smiling, trying to play like this didn't matter, but inside she was fuming.

How dare that witch seek to have me killed.

How dare she!

"Lady Synestra is mistaken my lords," she said, trying to keep her voice as pleasant as possible, "_**Gravely **_mistaken."

"Did you disobey a direct order?" Vengean asked.

"An order from Lady Synestra, yes, but she is _**not**_ my master, Lord Feer is. I chose to pursue the mission that he assigned me. His orders take precedence over any his wife could give."

Avaryss smiled dangerously.

"A fact that I will…_discuss_ with Lady Synestra the next time we meet. I'm sure it will be a most…_enlightening _conversation."

And it will at that, Avaryss thought, with the blood shine of my lightsaber's blade providing all the illumination we could ever need.

She claims she is worthy of being called a master? Let us see her back that up with her lightsaber!

We will see how talkative the shutta is after I've removed her tongue, not to mention her head.

Vawrawn laughed.

"I do believe the girl wishes to kill her master's wife. Whatever shall we do brothers?"

Avaryss bowed her head, technically she was overreaching, if these men decided to see her punished for that…

Though…it seemed that none of these four cared very much, Vawrawn was amused. Vengean seemed…acceptant of her choice. Ravage remained belligerent. Marr was…well…Marr remained Marr cold and calculating.

He waved his hand dismissively.

"Problems within House Feer our not our concern," Marr said flatly.

"But the kill order," Ravage reminded him.

"Has not yet been approved," Marr said dismissively.

"Indeed," Lord Vawrawn said, "As far as anyone else is concerned, this council is still in a closed session, as far as Lady Feer is concerned we have not even seen her request yet.

The pure blood smiled at Avaryss.

"That gives us time to make use of this one's skills."

"Let the girl prove her loyalty," Vengean said, "If she is as inept as Lady Synestra believes, then her death will be assured. If she succeeds…well…we may find other uses for her, if House Feer wishes to discard a useful tool, who could blame the one who chooses to pick it up, and make better use of it?"

"Vengean's idea is not without merit," Vawrawn said nodding.

The pale Sith glared at the pure blood.

"If _**you **_agree with me, then perhaps it is not such a good idea."

"Enough," Marr said, "The girl will be given a chance. First she must tell us about this mission that she had been pursuing so doggedly."

"You mean the conspiracy?" she said, "What would you like to know, my lord?"

"Everything," Marr replied, "Leave nothing out, recent events have forced us to reevaluate past decisions involving this…_interference_ into Imperial affairs..."

"This conspiracy, as you call it, maybe more dangerous than we anticipated."

"Do as Lord Marr asks, dear girl," Vawrawn said, "Tell us about this…Jedi conspiracy that you have uncovered."

Avaryss nodded.

At least the council was now admitting that something _**was**_ going on, these four at least.

They want to know everything, she thought, so be it.

She began her story.

There was much to tell.

IOI

The dark lords remained silent as she told her tale, occasionally Marr or Vengean would ask for clarification about something, but for the most part, they chose to simply listen.

She did as they asked, and left nothing out. She did downplay her relationship with Fenn, of course

Somethings were best kept private after all. What she shared with Fenn, it had no bearing on her dealing with the conspiracy and its agents...

She did not want the dark council thinking she was some Jedi-lover after all. The connection she shared with Fenn went beyond Jedi or Sith, beyond the light or the dark.

It was best…kept secret.

She ended her tale with her final contact with Darth Baras, her request that he send out her challenge to Sy Dar Bynn. When Ravage asked her why she had chosen Baras to aid her, she had reminded the Dark Lord of their previous encounters.

Baras had been the most accessible resource she had had, given their history of doing favors for one another.

"I would advise you to be careful around my apprentice," Vengean said, "You would not wish to become simply another of his pawns.

"There is risk involved with any relationship, Lord Vengean," she said, "But for now…the rewards are worth that risk."

She smiled.

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

When she had finished, the four dark lords looked at each other, perhaps choosing how best to deal with what she had told them.

It was Vawrawn that spoke first.

"We should take this as good news brothers," he said, "It does not sound like what happened on Fydon had anything to do with the conspiracy young Avaryss is investigating."

Ravage shot the pure blood an angry look.

"The girl is not cleared for that information Vawrawn," he spat, "You always did talk too much."

The pure blood smiled cruelly.

"The girl needs to know," he replied, "If she is to serve the council in this matter, she will need to know what we know, is that not right, Marr."

The hooded dark lord nodded.

"Vawrawn has the right of it, Ravage. The girl must be told everything if she is to serve our needs."

Avaryss almost shuddered with pleasure.

They want my service.

They need my aid.

She was ecstatic.

"I shall do everything in my power to aid you my lords, you have my word."

"Baras trusts the girl to carry out his dirty work," Vengean said, "My apprentice does not choose weak pawns."

"As I said, I'm ready to serve," Avaryss repeated, ignoring the pawn comment.

She looked at Darth Marr.

"Tell me about this…Fydon was it? I will see that your interests are carried out swiftly and decisively, my lords."

Marr nodded, and gestured to Darth Vengean.

It was he that explained.

"Fydon was a planet in the Zahn system child; it was a training ground of sort for Sith marauders and battle ragers, a fierce world for our fighters to hone their savage skills. It was…useful."

"Emphasis on was," Vawrawn added morosely.

Vengean nodded.

"Four weeks ago, according to the records we have obtained, an unidentified freighter crashed on the planet's surface. It broke up as it fell through the atmosphere, and as it did so, it released a crimson cloud of unknown origin, a cloud that dispersed quickly across the planet's surface.

"A Terminus class destroyer had been in orbit at the time and recorded what had happened next and a good thing too."

"What came next was not a pretty sight, child," Vawrawn said, "Even now the mere thought of it is enough to make me lose my appetite.

"The cloud contained some kind of virus," Marr said coldly, "Given how it was released it blanketed the planet in a matter of hours."

Avaryss frowned.

"A bio-weapon?" she asked.

"An extremely virulent, one," Ravage said with a shudder. "It spreads quickly and the symptoms manifest in mere minutes of one being infected."

"What symptoms, my lord," Avaryss asked.

"Radical cell mutation, to begin with," Vengean said, "I am no scientist, but from what the experts we have consulted have said, the virus attacks the victim on a genetic level, activating some genetic traits, turning others off. Death is quick and extremely painful, and that is only if someone is lucky. Those that survive the change are left as mindless vicious animals. Civilization on Fydon collapsed within hours of the initial infection."

"But that was not the end of it," Ravage said, "the Sith on the planet suffered far worse."

Avaryss said nothing, what could she say.

_What was worse than having your genetic material turned inside out?_

"To those that are Force sensitive, the virus proved even more powerful, the virus did not mutate them, instead, it bonded with the Sith on the planet in the most subtle of levels, it changed them…altered them."

"We are not sure how, but…this plague, it destroys any connection that its victim has with the Force. It left its victims powerless, unable to access their power."

Ravage shuddered.

"Our marauders, our battle ragers were powerless before the mutated guards and soldiers. They were massacred."

"Several Sith managed to escape the planet, they fled as the last gasp of civilization fell away. They thought that they had not been infected, that they had escaped in time, but that had not been so, the virus remained, _**bonded**_ with them. Within an hour of stepping aboard the Terminus in orbit, the crew began to mutate."

Avaryss shuddered.

Emperor save us, she thought.

"Carriers," she said, "The virus not only took away their abilities, but it turned them into carriers."

Darth Marr nodded.

"The captain of that ship did his duty, he triggered the ship's self-destruct, but not before requesting that the planet be quarantined and sanitized."

Marr sighed.

"Fydon was a useful world, but now…it is nothing but ash."

"For the good of the Empire, it had to be cleansed."

Avaryss nodded.

_The Empire had no choice._

_This virus could not be allowed to spread._

"Lord Farshaw was the last of the Sith that had served on Fydon, his death ends the threat of what happened there going any further," Vawrawn said with a shuddered.

"Yet, the culprits behind this attack remain unknown," Marr growled, "they will need to be hunted down and destroyed for this outrage."

Avaryss nodded. She could not imagine a more worthy goal. If this is what the council wanted of her, she would carry out their orders without hesitation.

It was at that moment that a thought occurred to her, one that should have been obvious to anyone. She was a bit surprised that the Councilors had not picked up on it.

"Have there been any other attacks, my lords?" she asked, "Has this virus been used elsewhere? Have any other worlds suffered the same fate as Fydon?"

"According to our agents," Darth Vengean began, "Two Republic worlds have been attacked. The Jedi there committed suicide rather than risk exposing their fellows."

We have also gotten similar reports out of Hutt space," Ravage said, "Two of their space stations were infected by something similar to the virus we encountered on Fydon."

"So these attacks were not political," Avaryss said thoughtfully, "They sound almost random."

"Not Random at all," Lord Vengean informed her, "The Republic worlds were home to two distinctly different species. The first was a water world, its alien population was all water breathers, and the second possessed an ammonia based atmosphere. The difference did not stop this virus."

"Our friends within Hutt space confirmed similar findings," Marr said, "the stations that were infected had two entirely different atmospheres. Yet, the virus moved through both populations with ease."

Avaryss pursed her lips, considering what she had heard. Five different targets, each with different atmospheres, one would think that at least one of them would have stopped the virus' advance, yet it sounded like the weapon had no problem adapting to any of them.

_It was too perfect_, she thought, _someone had taken a great deal of care in engineering this…monstrosity. The worlds that had been infected, the two stations, they were not attacks, not in the traditional sense. They were test runs. Someone wanted to see just how good their little creation was, if it had any weaknesses. _

It would have taken a great deal of will to perform such an act, that and the skill necessary to create such a weapon.

The only question was who?

She did not think the Jedi had it in them to create such a weapon, much less test it on a Republic world. No doubt there were some senators or military leaders within the Republic that would not balk at such an action, but would they risk the anger of their own people, not to mention the Jedi if someone found out? Hutts viewed other life forms as expendable, but even their cold hearts drew the line at destruction when there was no profit to be made from it, and she could not imagine any of the slugs wishing to risk either Republic or Imperial anger. This left her with only one possible culprit, another Sith, one who was familiar to her after so many months serving as her master's apprentice.

They were dealing with a fellow Sith, she was sure of it, one skilled in not only genetics, but alchemy as well. One name came to mind; a man who would not hesitated in unleashing such a weapon.

"Tell me, my lords," she said thoughtfully, "Has anyone thought to ask Darth Terrog about this virus? From what I've heard he does have some experience in viral weaponry, and he is no friend of my master, who just happened to have lost a planet to this plague?"

"Darth Feer made a similar accusation," Ravage said, "Sadly it came to naught."

"You were not alone in suspecting Terrog, apprentice," Marr informed her, "After Fydon, we sent word to Imperial intelligent, asking them to check up on him."

"The man remains under house arrest after that business with the food shipment," Vengean reminded her.

"Intelligence has been monitoring all of Terrog's communications and keeping a watchful eye on any visitors he has received. So far, they have turned up nothing out of the ordinary." Ravage said.

"Terrog had no opportunity to release this weapon," Vawrawn sighed, "If he had, our agents would have notified us."

Avaryss cursed under her breath.

Terrog was the most likely suspect, given his hatred for House Feer.

If not him, then who else, who had the skill to arrange something like this?

"Despite having an ironclad alibi, we are still keeping an eye on Lord Terrog," Vawrawn informed her. "We have dispatched your master and his fleet to the border of Terrog's holdings, to make sure that nothing unforeseen is happening."

Well that explained why she had not been able to reach him, Avaryss thought, The Dark Council would not wish to cause a panic, so keeping this matter secret was likely the best way to do that.

It could not remain secret for long however, she knew.

Sooner or later, someone would talk.

"Is this what you need of me, my lords," she asked, "would you like for me to investigate this matter for you?"

"We have other agents looking into the Fydon matter," Marr assured her, "Your task however, is no less important."

"For some time now," Vawrawn said, "This council has turned a blind eye to the conspiracy that you have been investigating so diligently. It served the purpose of many lords, helping to cull the weak."

"The value of such a tool has now expired," Vengean said, "If the one who destroyed Fydon is among us, then it is only a matter of time until they might be manipulated to unleashing their new weapon on a larger more important target. Ziost, Serrano, maybe even Dromund Kaas. We must take steps to make sure that such an attack never happens."

"The attack on Fydon proves we have at least one dangerous enemy within our borders," Vawrawn exclaimed, "We cannot afford to have a second, especially not one as unpredictable as these Rogue Jedi."

"That is where you come in, apprentice," Marr said. "By order of the Dark Council, we hereby charge you, Avaryss of House Feer, with the duty of ending this conspiracy. You will find the leaders of this movement, the ones behind the attacks on our holdings, and you will silence them."

"You must do what must be done, girl," Vengean added, "Do not hesitate, and show no mercy."

She smiled at the dark lords.

"I've never been considered overly merciful," she said with a slight laugh, "It will be done, my lord, once I've had verification of Sy Dar Bynn's whereabouts."

A shudder of pleasure went down her spine.

Finally, she thought.

_**Real**__ recognition._

She was happy, and excited, eager to be off. Happy enough that she decided to share some of her plan with them.

It was the least she could do.

"I've taken steps to ensure what you desire comes to path," Avaryss promised them, "I intend to draw Sy Dar Bynn and his young Padawan out of hiding and onto a battlefield of my choosing.

She smiled confidently.

"Then we shall see what these Jedi fools are made of."

"And what if he does not come alone child," Ravage asked.

"Then my blade will drink far deeper than I had originally intended," she said dismissively. "I will leave no stone unturned in my search, my lords; you have my word on that."

Once again, the dark lords all looked at each other, nodding thoughtfully.

"We find your desire to carry out this mission, acceptable," Ravage said.

"In fact, we have something for you that might speed up your quest," Vawrawn said smiling.

"Do you trust your crew?" Ravage asked.

"As much as I trust any of my underlings," she said.

"I'm sure that they are most useful," Vawrawn said, "But you may need more than the crew compliment of a lone interceptor."

"You shall be granted the use of a destroyer," Marr informed her, "The crew will be completely under your command. You may use the soldiers and weapons aboard as you see fit."

Avaryss smiled.

She could think of many uses for a Sith destroyer. Though the first part of her plan required subtlety, she might need something more once the head had been removed from this particular snake.

"My lords…I…Thank you, you honor me, my lords." She said bowing her head.

"We are giving you a chance to prove yourself, girl," Ravage said, "Do not make us regret that decision."

"You will not, lord councilor, I swear it on the Emperor's name."

"Succeed in this, and you will be rewarded," Marr promised, "You are aware of you predecessors are you not, girl, your master's former apprentices?"

"I know that they never became lords," she said diplomatically.

Marr leaned in.

"That is a fate you will not need to concern yourself with if you do this for us."

"Indeed, Lord Avaryss," Vawrawn said smiling slyly, "Do as this council desires, and the title of lord will no longer be merely an honorific spoken by your underlings."

"Lordship will be yours in truth," Vengean said, "You will be able to proclaim it to all; you shall stand as above the mere common rabble."

"But only if you succeed," Ravage reminded her, "Do not disappoint us girl."

Avaryss almost squealed like a child on feast day morning!

A lordship, she thought, one endorsed fully by the dark council!

Lord Feer would not like that, but in the end, what could he do?!

"If the council proclaimed her a lord, what could he do but protest? It would be a protest that would likely fall on deaf ears."

"All will be as you command; my lords," she promised, "Sy Dar Bynn and his followers will know the vengeance of the dark side."

"Then go forth, child," Vawrawn said, "You have blessing of the council, fulfil your mission."

"Bring terror, apprentice," Vengean said, "Bring rage. Bring death!"

She rose from the table and bowed respectfully.

"That is what I do, my lords," she said, "What I was born to do."

Marr sat back in his chair, the dark lord radiated pleasure.

"May the Force serve you well, Avaryss."

He pressed a button on his chair, the door behind her hissed open; her escort was still waiting, waiting to her see her safely to her Terminus class destroyer.

They were waiting to see her off…for her mission to begin.

"Thank you, my lords," she said bowing once again.

"I will not fail you."


	51. The Fist

**Chapter 51: The Fist**

The Terminus class destroyer had long been considered the work horse of the Imperial fleet. Faster than the Harrower series dreadnaught, it was also heavily armored, and more versatile. It was said that Lord Marr himself preferred to use the Terminus as his flagship during military engagements. The ship had both the speed and power to either work alone, or in the famous swarm attacks that had come to define the Sith navy.

Avaryss was most pleased; Marr could not have offered her a sounder vessel. It would serve her well as her mission entered its final stages.

_The Vaiken's Fist_, as the ship was known, was one of the finest vessel's to serve in Lord Marr's command. The fact that he had released it to her was proof of the trust he was placing in her in finally bringing these rogue Jedi and their conspiracy to an end.

Named for the first Grand Moff of the Empire, the ship's crew took great pride in their accomplishments; the ship itself had a storied history, serving in many engagements against both the Republic, and the Empire's enemies in the area of space that the Republic still referred to as the Unknown Regions.

And now…it is all mine, Avaryss thought with a smile.

It is _**all**_ mine!

She made her way to the bridge with Beric at her side. He continued to serve as her bodyguard. HK might have served just as well, but given the reputation of the HK series, Avaryss thought it preferable that he remain onboard the Fury, awaiting the fight to come. The destroyer's crew made way for them as the two strode out onto the ship's command walkway. Through the viewports hyperspace swirled around them, the tunnel of twisting time and space carrying them off to their destination.

Avaryss looked up and into that spinning void. It was said that staring into hyperspace was dangerous, that if one stared for too long they could come down with hyper-rapture, a condition that could lead to madness.

Avaryss…happened to like staring into it. Looking out into hyperspace was to stare at the infinite, an infinity that the Sith had mastered. Thanks to their knowledge and technology, hyperspace was theirs to command.

Hyperspace travel was proof of their superiority, their mastery of time and space.

If they could master that, what else might they be able to accomplish?

As Avaryss made her way forward, she was met by the destroyer's captain, a career officer by the name of Tanis Brune. Brune was about ten years her senior, and had served the Empire since the age of sixteen. One of the youngest captain's in Darth Marr's command he was seen as something of a rising star, a man with a future.

"We are approaching our destination, my lord," he informed her, we will be emerging from hyperspace shortly."

Avaryss nodded.

"We are ahead of schedule," she said, "Your crew continues to impress."

"We are one of the finest vessels in the Empire, my lord, I've had a hand in training every one," he said with no small degree of pride. Then he glanced over at her and smiled.

"Trust me, my lord; there are many ways that I can…_impress_ you."

Avaryss almost laughed. Despite his years of service, the Captain's desires were an open book to her.

When he spoke of …impressing her, it was not merely the ship and crew that he was referring to. She had sensed Brune's desire since he had first met her in the ship's hangar bay. She had felt desire, lust, and excitement. When she had offered him her hand, he had kissed her fingers chastely, but in that brief contact, his mental shields had been down, and she had caught a glimpse of a very…dark fantasy.

They had only just met, he had only just seen her, and yet, he imagined the two of them entwined in his quarters, envisioned the two of them in bed, giving in to both dark and delirious pleasures.

_He wants me_, she knew, and such a _**filthy**_ mind.

Intriguing.

She glanced over at him sizing him up.

She was almost willing to let him try to…_impress_ her.

It would be…fun.

Tanis Brune was a handsome man, tall, broad shouldered, and muscular. His short blonde hair and piercing blue eyes were both intimidating and enthralling. He could be called something of a poster boy for the Imperial navy, or likely had been ten years ago. Command had given the man an even more intimidating air. It was…exciting. Avaryss knew that the Captain was not without admirers, she had sensed that as well, several of the female crew on the ship harbored a hidden interest in the intense young captain. It was a desire that went beyond simply doing their duty.

Yet it was her that had caught his eye.

It was flattering to be sure.

Since that time she had come to enjoy teasing the dear captain. She had not worn a cloak since her arrival, and the bright red top she was wearing was open in back and slit deliciously down the front. True, it showed off the lightsaber scar across her upper back, but that did not deter Captain Brune, all he saw was a top that fit like it was painted on, pale skin, and the Sith tattoos that marked her as a person of power.

This one is attracted to power, she realized, according to ship's records, he had achieved his captaincy when The Fist's original commander had been slain in combat. He had only been third officer at the time, but had proved his superiority to his immediate superior, and replaced him.

This one was eager for advancement; he had jumped ahead of his rival to take command, and cemented it by his strength and skill. He had claimed this ship through force of will.

Of course, he would need more than mere ambition if he desired to _**claim **_her.

The path to a Lady Sith's bed was not an easy one, unless she wished it to be.

Beric, who had been at her side for most of the trip, saw what was going on. He did not like the man lusting after his little sister, despite her amusement with the game.

When she had stepped out of her quarters, he had been waiting for her; he had given her what some might call a…old fashion look. The look a disapproving father might give a daughter, one who was expressing herself as a woman for the first time, showing off a bit for the men around her.

Part of her still quailed under that look, Beric was almost the spitting image of their father and despite everything that she had done, all that she had endured; that small shard of light, that tiny piece of Keera Lylos remained alive inside her.

It could be a nuisance even at the best of times.

She tried to ignore it.

So what if he disapproved of her flirting with the handsome young captain, was she not a grown woman, was she not a Sith, one of the masters of their glorious empire? Besides, it was not like she was ignorant of men, she would have married Fehl had he lived, and she had had lovers since then.

She was no babe in the woods when it came to the pleasures of the flesh.

She chose to ignore those looks, just as she ignored that small bit of self-consciousness that was both a part of the light and of Keera Lylos. She would not let it spoil her fun.

She would not.

She stood beside the young captain, enjoying the emotions playing through him. Enjoying the fantasies that skipped across his mind, a lesser woman might have blushed at some of them, but she was no lesser woman, she was a Sith.

A Sith did not blush.

"We shall be leaving hyperspace shortly, my lord," he said, "Transition back to real space in three, two, one…"

The tunnel of light vanished, stars snapped from elongated lines back to pin pricks of light against the void.

She smiled slightly.

Nar Shadda floated serenely before them

_Hello again_, she thought.

_Hopefully, you will be able to serve my needs again._

Though it was not unusual for a warship to visit Nal Hutta and the smuggler's moon, it was considered good form for to let the Hutts know you were coming first.

Avaryss had decided to show good form.

She had contacted Vogga the Hutt before they arrived, to make sure that the cartel was aware of their presence. The Hutt accepted their request to hold far orbit, provided they keep Nar Shadda between the warship and the Hutt homeworld. Such a request was standard procedure according to Captain Brune.

If we decide to break the peace, he had said, they would rather we slag Nar Shadda first, plus it would give the Hutts time to organize their own defense.

Since Avaryss had no intention of blasting Nal Hutta, she accepted.

Let the crime lords feel safe, she had no interest in their holdings, only in having a nice neutral spot to conduct her final business with the conspiracy.

That it was mattered to her.

She turned to Captain Brune.

"Have we heard anything from Major Forn's people," she asked, "Is he in position?"

Major Forn was the commander of The Fist's commando teams. Like Brune, he came with the full endorsement of Darth Marr. He was a career soldier who had seen almost twenty five years in the navy, carrying out many clan destine operations during both the last war, and the state of cold war that had come after the signing of the treaty of Coruscant. Neither she nor Beric had ever heard of the man, which when he was informed of this he laughed.

"Good," the Major had said, "I'm a black ops, trooper, if people have heard of me, then I'm not doing my job right."

Brune had assured her that the man knew his business, and would have everything ready by the time they reached their destination.

"We received a coded signal before we jumped," the young officer said nodding, "The Major and his team are in place, and awaiting your command."

Brune shook his head.

"If the pubs try anything, the Major and his men will be there to assist, though perhaps it would have been better to choose a different site for this meeting. Nar Shadda is too chaotic, if something goes wrong, anything could happen."

"There is a risk," Avaryss acknowledged, "But at least on Nar Shadda the Pubs are in the same position that we are, the odds are even.

In such a fight, I like my chances far better than the Jedi, they know little about me, but I've come to be quite familiar with their tactics and the way they view us."

"Here is where it will end, captain, here is where we will give the Dark Council exactly what it desires."

The officer beamed proudly.

"Then we shall be celebrating our victory soon," he said, once again letting his eyes drift over her form.

"I would be happy to celebrate that victory with you, my lord, perhaps over dinner?"

She smirked.

"Let us achieve victory first, Captain, then we will discuss…celebrating."

At her side Beric rolled his eyes, Avaryss chuckled in response.

My dear, sweet brother, she thought.

She was grateful for his presence.

Brune radiated a sense of disdain as he looked out as the smuggler's moon. Nar Shadda was not the most pleasant of places; that was true. When she had informed Brune of their destination he had voiced that opinion.

"Nar Shadda has its uses," she reminded him, "and it could have more with a little…adjustment.

"The only adjustment that I would make, my lord, is a full-fledged orbital bombardment."

She had laughed, amused by the thought, but unwilling to let the captain follow through on his desires.

The Hutts still had their uses.

They would not break treaty, not even out of a need to improve the local system.

Avaryss glanced over at the Captain, there was a tightness in his jaw, and she sensed…concern.

"Speak your mind, captain," she ordered, "Do you have any concerns about this plan of mine."

"You are a Sith, my lord, I would not seek to question your wisdom…"

She nodded thoughtfully, but at the same time she did not wish simple flattery, she wanted the truth.

"But…" she said.

"But," the officer sighed, "I'm concerned that this Jedi will do something…unexpected. The man that we are after, you claim he is most unpredictable."

"I think he prides himself on that," Avaryss said, "But…in that unpredictability he becomes predictable."

She smiled.

"I think I've found the perfect snare for this particular nerf."

"And if he tries something?" Brune asks, "I now you have Major Forn's people, but…"

"Oh he will try something," she replied, "Most definitely; everything that I've read about the man suggests that that will happen."

She grinned.

"Have no fear, captain; I know what I'm doing."

Less than a day after she first arrived onboard this destroyer, Darth Baras had finally gotten back in contact with her. The Jedi Sy Dar Bynn had gotten her challenge he assured her, and, as a favor from Darth Vengean, he had even provided her with a dossier on the politically connected and unpredictable Jedi master. It was an interesting read to be sure.

Sy Dar Bynn was seen by many as the perfect Jedi, completely committed to the Republic, and always in control of whatever situation he found himself in, or at least, that was how he was seen by his allies in the Senate.

The truth was a bit more…contradicting.

Master Sy had often sided with his allies in the Senate over his Jedi brothers and sisters. He had openly clashed several times with Satele Shan, the current Jedi Grand Master. In fact, according to Baras' agents, he had openly opposed Shan being named to the council in the first place, and had tried to use his contacts with the Republic government to pressure the council to seat him on it instead.

His gambit had not worked, and that was likely good for the Sith.

Had SY Dar Bynn had the support of the Jedi Council when he began his little conspiracy, things might be going far worse of the Empire. The man might have convinced the bulk of the Jedi Order to aid him; that could have been disastrous.

It was strange, Avaryss thought, from what she had come to know of Jas Dar Bynn, it was he that was seen as the rogue Jedi, the outside, while his twin was praised and considered the perfect example of the order.

Perhaps the Jedi were too close to see what was right in front of them? In her eyes, they had branded the wrong brother the rogue.

After his failed bid to join the council, Sy Dar Bynn had rededicated himself to his work within the Republic Senate. He had become a recruiter of sort in the last eight or nine years, drawing more and more Jedi into his plans…or perhaps the term schemes would be better.

Avaryss had smiled as she had read the report.

A plan had been forming in her mind since she had left that mining guild station, after he encounter with Sy Dar Bynn's Padawan.

She thought that she had found exactly what she needed, the perfect gambit to bring down the entire conspiracy with one swift stroke.

All that she needed to do now, was draw Sy Dar Bynn out of hiding, she needed to get the hypocritical Jedi away from his power base.

The challenge she had offered would do that, and with the Force as her ally, set up the endgame that she had planned.

Then they would see just how perfect of a Jedi that Sy Dar Bynn was.

As she stood beside the captain, her comlink crackled, she pulled it from her belt.

It is about time, she thought.

She wondered when this particular call was going to come in.

"Yes, Rink?" she asked.

"You got a call coming in for you, boss. Cant' trace the source, but it is close, probably on planet."

Avaryss nodded.

"Transfer it to the Captain's ready room on the bridge," she ordered, "I will speak with our quarry here."

"Gotcha, boss," Rink replied.

Avaryss excused herself and made for the ready room. Brune went to confer with one of his officers while Beric escorted her to the isolates section near the back of the bridge.

Avaryss tried to center herself as she prepared to address her long hidden enemy, and yes, she was certain that it was him. She had done everything in her power to rattle the Jedi's pride, to make sure that he understood that none of his underlings were safe as long as she continued to draw breath. She wanted him to think of this as a matter that only he could deal with, and deal with personally.

She pulled Master Venari's gold medallion out of a pouch on her leggings; she hung it around her neck, and smiled pleasantly.

Now Jedi, she thought, let us get this party started.

The hyper-comm was flashing, signaling that she had a call waiting.

She gestured with the Force, activating the comm unit and stood tall.

The image of Sy Dar Bynn shimmered before her.

He came, she thought with a tingle of excitement running down her spine.

Excellent!

The Jedi said nothing to her; he simply regarded her with a cool hard gaze. The effect felt…strange. She found herself thinking of the man's twin brother, his identical twin. Their features were the same, that was plain to see, the nose, the jaw, the haircut, but the eyes, Sy Dar Bynn's eyes were far different from that of his brother. They were as different as night was to day.

Jas Dar Bynn's eyes had been open; she had felt the resolve of a Jedi, but also a sense of compassion, a sentiment that would likely be the man's undoing one day. His brother did not feel like that. She could feel the power of the light within him, but it was not blinding, it felt filtered, controlled, as controlled as the light that no doubt shown down on the chambers of the galactic Senate on Coruscant.

Prideful and arrogant, she thought, normally she admired those traits, but not now, not in this man.

This Jedi was the same type of man that had no doubt convinced the Jedi order to launch the Sith Holocaust a millennia ago. Billions of innocent Sith Pure bloods had died, and all so the Republic's politicians could brag that they had protected their people. The common Sith had not been a threat to the Republic back then, at that time, only the Lords, those who had descended from the Dark Jedi of old had had reason to hate the Republic and the Jedi. If not for the holocaust, the remaining lords, the Emperor himself might not have found the support to rebuild in the aftermath of the so called Great Hyperspace War.

Perhaps the Jedi did us a favor back then, it taught all Sith, from lord to commoner to hate the Republic. Now, at long last, we sit on the very cusp of having our revenge.

She smiled pleasantly at the hologram.

"Master Sy Dar Bynn, I presume," she said, "This has been a meeting a long time coming."

"So," he said coldly, not even acknowledging her greeting, "You are the Sith that has been causing so many problems."

The Jedi shook his head.

"Years of good work, moving pieces across the board, finding the right contacts in your hateful empire, and how does the dark council choose to respond..?"

He chuckled.

"They send a child to oppose me."

Avaryss should have been insulted, but she wasn't.

She knew her worth, what she had done up until now.

He has been my enemy of a long time, she thought, over the last few months she had come to realize that the Padawan she had fought and killed back on Butcher's Clearing had likely been a part of this conspiracy, it had likely gone on that long, if not longer.

Long had she sought the master that the alien had referred to, the one that was going to bring down the Empire. She had readied herself for this moment for a long time, did he honestly think he could insult her into making a mistake, no.

Of course two could play that game.

She smirked.

"Brandol Venari said something similar to me," she said idly fingering the medallion around her neck. She could sense immediately when the Jedi recognized what it was.

His eyes narrowed dangerously.

"So it was you," he said flatly, "You murdered Master Venari."

"He was killed," she admitted, "Not by my hand, perhaps, but definitely because of my will."

She laughed dismissively.

"He was tough for an old bird. I doubt you will last half as long as he did."

Master Sy sneered at her.

"Are you trying to bait me, Sith? It will not work."

His eyes remained cold and hard.

"You murdered an old man, old and spent, a man who only wished to live out the rest of his days in seclusion. I will see you brought to justice for that."

"You will find me far more of a challenge."

Avaryss glared back at him.

"Before you go blaming me for all that befell your old teacher, let me remind you that if it wasn't for yours schemes, he would still be alive today. It was you that drew my attention with your failed and clumsy attempts to manipulate the Empire."

"Failed and clumsy," he spat.

"What else could you call them," She laughed coldly.

"We will see who gets brought to justice, Jedi."

His eyes narrowed.

"And what do you know about justice, girl? What do you know about loss? You and your fellows have no honor. You butchered innocents when you sacked the Jedi Temple. You killed millions when your fleet attacked Coruscant, and all of that was done under a banner of peace."

Avaryss shrugged. No doubt that story worked well to manipulate Master Sy's sheep when it came for them to attack the Empire, but personally, she was not buying it.

How many billions had died during the Sith Holocaust? Compare **that** to the military operation that was the battle of Coruscant. Besides, she was still a child when that battle occurred. She had not been with Lords Malgus and Angral when they brought fire to the skies of Coruscant.

She was not about to get into a blame game with this Jedi, he was her enemy.

She had come here for blood.

"The Dark Council did not see you worth their time in destroying, so they sent me," she informed him with cruel smile, "Your passive aggressive attacks against our lords' ends now, Jedi. No that if you refuse my challenge that I will not stop, I will continue to harass your operations, and kill your men. You want to save them and your plans; you will need to go through me."

She could feel the anger radiating beneath the surface of Sy Dar Bynn's Jedi calm, it was delicious, and but the first phase in her plan. Sy Dar Bynn saw himself as a model Jedi, but on some level he also saw himself as better than everyone else, that the Force and his history made him better. She had done everything to belittle him, make him feel small, small and unworthy. She wanted him angry. She wanted him not to be thinking clearly. It was the best way to get him to fall into her trap, a trap that when beyond mere killing. It was not enough to simply slay the Jedi; she could have hired an assassin to do that if that is what she wanted.

No, she wanted him broken.

Her plan, if everything went as she had foreseen, would see to that.

Sy Dar Bynn sneered.

You have bitten off more than you can chew this time, child," he hissed, "I'm sending coordinates, we will see who is unworthy before this day is through...

She looked at the numbers flashing below the Jedi's imagine.

Those are sector coordinates, how do you expect me to find you?"

"If you are as strong in the Force as you claim, then you will have no problem, "he said, "I will not simply walk into a trap Sith. I **will** face you one on one, you have my word on that."

Avaryss almost laughed.

The man's word was worth little. He was more politician than Jedi.

She knew what a politician's promises were worth.

He will have ample warning if I try something, but at the same time, so will I. Major Forn's people will have no doubt discovered his location by now.

Whatever the Jedi was planning, whatever trick he had in mind, would not work as easily as he expected.

He underestimates me, she realized, good, he still thought that this was going to be some kind of duel, some comedy of lightsabers where he, the golden hero triumphs over the sneering villain.

That was not how this story would go at all. She had her own tale to tell.

Her tale…would be his undoing.

"I will be there," she promised.

She felt a sense of grim satisfaction radiate from the Jedi, no doubt he was thinking of his fallen master, and his friends killed at both the temple so long ago, and at that Jedi Enclave she had sacked.

"Then this will all be over soon," he said, "I await your arrival Sith. The time has come to end this."

The hologram faded, Avaryss stood for a moment reveling in the anger and rage she had felt off the Jedi fool.

He has no idea, she thought.

Oh…this was going to be fun.

She smiled as she made her way back to Beric and the captain. She needed to prepare.

She had an arrogant Jedi Master to destroy.

She welcomed the opportunity.

Cut the head of the snake, and the body would die, but not all at once.

It was not enough to simply kill it; she wanted the peel the skin off first, while it was still alive.

And the Jedi had given her the perfect opportunity.

Her fist was coming down, and there was nothing the Jedi fool could do to stop it.

She was done playing games with this fool.

One last blow, she thought.

Then…it would be over.


	52. The Trap

**Chapter 52: The Trap**

The sector on Nar Shadda, the area that the Jedi had chosen for their meeting had long been abandoned by the Hutts. Once it had been a thriving factory sector, a place of prosperity in a time of peace, producing goods and supplies to aid the Republic expansion effort as it continued to grow into the outer rim. The return of the Sith had ended that era of expansion. The factories might have been saved, converted into producing war material, but any chance of that ended with the Hutt's decision to remain neutral in the conflict. The companies that owned the factories went bankrupt, and the sector died a slow death, the once thriving businesses were now only empty shells, with only the most desperate or impoverished now hiding among the ruins.

Sy Dar Bynn had chosen his ground well. The old factories were a maze; a small group could operate, and then go into hiding for years with little chance of them being located. The Sith could have bombed the site from orbit, but that would be a violation of the treaty with the Hutt clans, and even if the bombings were approved, there was no guarantee that the Jedi would be killed, and if they survived, the conspiracy would continue to flourish.

Avaryss was determined not to let that happen.

As soon as the location was given, Major Forn and his men were informed. The commandos would do their best to locate the Jedi base of operation, and provide support for Avaryss and her people. The Jedi would be ready for a trap, but hopefully, the major and his men's arrival had gone unnoticed. Sy Dar Bynn would be expecting a full military response, what he got would be something quite different.

Subtly, at this point, it was key.

As for Avaryss, herself, it had taken a bit of time to prepare for her meeting with the rogue Jedi Master. She sat quietly in the back of the shuttle, preparing for the fight to come. She had spent the bulk of the journey down to the surface meditating, while Beric and Quenya brought the shuttle down in a nearby sector. They would need to make the journey from there, but it was safer than simply landing in an area with no idea of the enemy's location, or what his strength might be.

Not that Avaryss had been idle, oh no, she had cooked up a few surprises of her own, she did not trust Sy Dar Bynn, everything she had seen up to this point suggested that the man could not be trusted, her strategy depended heavily on that, indeed; the plan itself depended on it. At its core, the plan was quite simple, simple, but with a twist.

She hoped that the Jedi would appreciate her hard work.

As she gathered her strength, meditated on the fight to come, her perspective seemed to be in two places at once. Part of her was already down on the surface, contemplating what awaited them. The dark warrens and collapsed buildings of the old factory sector would provide its own challenges to be sure.

While at the same time, she was on the shuttle, Quenya at the controls, and Beric beside her. She had considered bringing Rink along, but had discarded the idea at the last moment.

The pilot had another role to play in her plan, and the plan was…

She felt a sense of vertigo; it took her a moment to regain her composure.

Whoa, she thought as her head started to spin, she took several deep breaths and centered herself.

Her head cleared…thankfully.

This is no time to be feeling out of it, she thought.

What happens within the next few hours will define me as a Sith.

I can ill-afford to be anything but at my best.

Before leaving the ship, she had returned briefly to her quarters, to consult the scrolls she had found back on Korriban. She had found reference to a spell in one of them that might prove quite useful. As she had read through the writings again, she came to realize that this was not the first time she had heard of this particular dark side ability. During her time in the academy, she had been allowed to use the holocron of one of the ancient lords, a long dead Dark Lord named Simus, during that experience she had absorbed how he had viewed the spell, and adapted to his own use. At the time she had not realized what it all meant, her time with the holocron had left her thoughts muddied, only now did they finally truly become clear, for this spell anyway.

She had grinned when she had that realization.

Between what she had learned from Lord Simus and the words of the long forgotten lord in the tomb, she had the means of the summoning up a little surprise for Sy Dar Bynn and any followers he might have brought with him.

Casting the spell had been easy enough, once she had all the necessary components, it had left her a little winded however, and she had needed a few moments to settle herself after the final casting. Well…perhaps not the _**final **_casting. That would take place only when the time was right, when she was in the exact place that she needed to be.

She could feel the darkness roiling around her, it was all she could do not to release that energy, but she could not.

It was not yet the time.

As she focused on the darkness within her, she found herself listening in on the conversation taking place between Beric and Quenya, her brother had strong feelings for…what was Quenya again? Her disciple…was that the right word, perhaps? Never the less her big brother did not hold back.

He had his own opinions about the Devish, and he was not afraid to let those opinions be known.

"We're about to face your former comrades," he said flatly, "How do you feel about that?"

"They are being no comrades of mine," she replied, "I am not being one of those that willingly violated the treaty."

"But they are Jedi," He reminded her, "You were training to be one of them were you not?"

"I was," she sighed, "There was being a time that I wished to be one of them, but I cannot be denying that what I've seen at Master Avaryss' side has left me shaken. I am being from a family of storied champions of the Force, Jedi all, but I am not being worthy of my legacy, perhaps I never was."

The Devish hissed.

"I am wondering how those other Mallocs would have acted had they discovered Master Sy's plan? Would they oppose it, or would they find themselves being willing to see it through, for the good of the Republic. I cannot say for sure."

Beric sniffed thoughtfully, Avaryss could imagine the look on his face, that one of contemplation and serious thought.

"You are not your ancestors," he said, "You can only stand on your own two feet, make your own way."

"But you are following in your own father's footsteps, yes? I heard that you are having a father who served your empire."

"That is true, but I did not choose the life of a common soldier. I found what worked best for me, and tried to excel. I think you owe it to yourself to try the same. What will you do once this is all over? When this Sy Dar Bynn has been stopped?"

There was a pause.

Finally, Quenya sighed.

"I am not being sure. I…I am not being dark side, not like Master Avaryss. I…I feel the call of what she is offering, but at the same time…"

…Another pause, and then…

"I am not knowing," Quenya finally said, "Perhaps, when this is being over…I shall try to find a place beyond the Empire, and beyond the Republic."

"I thought you wanted to be a hero?"

"I am starting to see that there is no such thing. My family, those men, they did their duties, but I…I am not sure I'm willing to go that far, perhaps it would be better if I left, if I sought out a life on a world outside of the Empire and the Republic. I am thinking that my skills could be useful. I'm thinking that I could build a life for myself, by my own rules."

"You could I suppose," Beric said, "But…just in case you choose not to, just in case you decide to pick a side in the next few moments, I want you to know something."

What?"

"I want you to know. If you try to pull a fast one on us, if you try to go running back to your fellow Jedi, to betray, Her Lordship, know this. You will be the first to die if I even suspect you have turned against us."

"I'm not being a traitor," Quenya said with a sniff.

"You betrayed your Jedi Master when we found you."

"That was not a betrayal, I was trying to…"

Quenya growled low.

"You would not be believing me anyway. I do not know why I am caring that you do."

'Just be aware of what could happen," her brother said coldly," I'm watching you."

Avaryss contemplated what she had heard.

It was most intriguing.

They both remained committed to hiding their familial bonds, in time Quenya or someone else would deduce the truth about them, but that was for another day, besides this was not about her and her brother, this was about Quenya.

Avaryss could not say she was pleased with what was going on.

She had thought, hoped, that Quenya would come to realize just how powerful the dark side was, she had hoped that the girl would come to accept it, to give herself over to its power.

That had not happened; the girl was still dragging her feet.

Avaryss found it annoying.

I've been too light on her, she thought; the fact that I'm not a full master is no excuse. I know what it takes to make someone give in and accept the dark. I needed that myself…once.

She found herself thinking back to Fury 9. Master Adaz and Master Phylon had put her in jeopardy to test her resolve. Her trial of blood had served her well, helped her move past her connection to the light, and her desire to remain in it.

I should have pushed Quenya, she realized, there were ways to lure someone down the path that they needed to go. She had let the girl's initial anger blind her to the weakness that was still a part of her.

She would need to remedy that, or at the very least make sure that the Devish did not return from this mission.

So many possible futures danced through her mind, her head swam with possibilities. Her head began to pound, but she drew on the Force and pushed that pain back.

It would stop if she let go, she knew, the spell she had cast needed to be completed, but it was not yet the time.

Soon, she thought, don't be weak.

Everything will make sense soon.

The shuttle continued down, she tried to reach out with the Force, get a sense of what awaited her.

She could feel a sense of menace, but nothing beyond that. She did not doubt in the least that Sy Dar Bynn thought he had some way to deal with her. Even if she did trust Jedi, she would never have trusted this particular one. If half what she had learned about him with true, he had compromised far too often, and he was clearly not above bloodying the hands of others to accomplish his goals, Sy Dar Bynn was far too cunning, that was for sure.

Yes, he no doubt had a trick up his sleeve, but that was okay.

She had one too.

IOI

Beric had brought the shuttle down on an unclaimed landing pad not far from the factory district. The tree of them had left the shuttle with no escort, and made quickly of the coordinates that the Jedi had provided. It did not take Avaryss long to figure out why the Jedi Master had chosen this place, and to reconsider her decision to meet with him here.

This entire sector had seen a lot during the last war and in the years since. Destruction and creation, pain and loss, hope and joy, and so many other conflicting emotions, the resulting chaos had created a place where the Force was no longer clearly defined by either light or dark, but instead had become a cold harsh grey. Even the most skilled of Force user would find it hard to sense another through such a haze. It was as if the very sector had been drowned in the Force.

The Emperor himself would have had a hard time penetrating such a morass.

Technology proved equally ineffective, most of the buildings here had been designed with industrial espionage in mind, they were constructed with shielding to baffle scanners, even military grade ones.

Beric's hand scanner was no more effective than the two Force user's abilities.

The group was effectively blind.

They had tried to contact Major Forn through a coded signal, but had gotten no response. If the Major's men were already within the sector they would not wish to give their location away still…

It was just another problem that made Avaryss question her choice of letting the confrontation take place here.

As they made their way down one of the abandoned streets they had caught glimpses of people that called this place home. Most avoided the three but occasionally someone would stop, and glance up quickly before hurrying on their way. The only one that seemed to ignore them was a large bipedal droid, carrying something large and bulky in his arms.

It could have been a body, Avaryss realized, which should have come to no surprise. Places like this were often used to dispose of unwanted…problems.

She suspected that many bodies had been buried here since the last war, and maybe a few even before that.

Her hand drifted to the lightsaber at her belt. She once again reached out with the Force, and sensed the same feeling of foreboding that had been building since they first entered the sector.

As they continued to advance she continued to feel more and more disoriented, the dark energies that she had taken into herself continued to build, they were almost screaming now for release.

Not yet, the darkness within continued to whisper, not yet.

She took a deep breath, fighting down a wave of nausea.

Soon, she thought…

…Very soon.

They had been moving for about ten minutes when the attack finally came. Beric had just mentioned that they might have been sent on a wild Bantha chase, when suddenly, he had been thrown hard against a collapsing wall; his scanner fell from his hands, shattering in a hail of sparks.

Avaryss and Quenya both drew their lightsabers.

The enemy fell upon them from both the front and behind.

Three Jedi led the attack, one in front two in back, to block their escape. The attack happened so fast that they barely had time to acknowledge what was going on. By the time she had crossed blades with the one in front, stun blasts rippled towards them from cover behind them. Normally, it would not have been difficult for her to dodge such an attack, but between the spell she was holding in reserve, and the sense of foreboding that surrounded this place, she had been completely caught off guard. Quenya was struck several times by stun blasts and went down. Avaryss managed to use her quickness to avoid the attack only to find herself crossing blades with a very familiar Jedi.

Despite the hood the girl was wearing. Avaryss recognized Sy Dar Bynn's Padawan. Xen Loor met her blade upon blade, pushing her back with both the Force and pure aggression. Her large eyes looked black in the cobalt blue light of her lightsaber blade.

"Remember me, Hutt spawn," the girl spat.

Avaryss snarled and pushed off; she spun her blade as she dropped into a Soresu guard.

A stun blast caught her low and in the back. She stumbled forward, and almost lost her head to Xen Loor, she moved in quickly, her style a blend of Makashi and Djem So.

Avaryss lost her blade; she tried to call it back, only to be Force pushed into the wall next to her, stars exploded before her eyes, as the galaxy seemed to bank hard to port.

The Force washed over her, stealing away both her speed and her confidence, she tried to find a way to escape only to be struck hard in the back by a jump kick from one of Xen's Jedi allies.

She went down hard, biting her tongue. She turned over to see Xen Loor standing over her, the point of her blue lightsaber a mere breath from the young Sith's throat.

She lay perfectly still, not wishing to the give the girl and excuse, not that she needed one.

Avaryss had been around enough killers to recognize one when she saw her.

Xen Loor…was a killer.

"This is for all the Jedi that you murdered, witch, and"she growled, "For all of us that died in the temple."

"Xen! NO!"

Another Jedi moved to the Padawan's side, she could not see his face under the hood, but the fact that he had green three fingered hand's suggested an alien origin.

"Master Sy wants the Sith alive."

Avaryss could feel the anger, boiling beneath the surface of the young Jedi girl. It felt like a ship's reactor on the verge of going critical. How the Jedi could not sense those emotions, boiling so close to the surface she could not even guess.

This one is never calm, she thought, she may appear calm, but that is all a mask.

This one is about to snap, she thought.

She wondered what it would take to do just that.

Xen growled low and in the back of her throat, she glared down at Avaryss, the one who had harassed her master over these many weeks.

"Stun her," she growled, "We will take this one before my master."

Avaryss snarled.

"I was to face your master in single combat," she spat, "I came here in good faith."

It was then that the girl did something that Avaryss did not expect.

She smiled. It was a cold and vicious thing.

It was a predator's smile.

Three stun blasts struck her, Avaryss cried out as they electrified her nervous system.

"There is what your "good faith" is worth, Sith," Xen Loor said, she spun on her heel and turned away.

"Bring her," she called out, "Her slaves too, my master is waiting."

The world began to fade away; Avaryss felt hands seize her by the arms.

She almost cried out, almost used the spell, but no…now was not yet the time. How she knew that, she could not say, but it was not yet the time.

Soon, she thought, soon enough.

The darkness rose up and she let herself slip beneath it.

She fell into darkness, and then…

…all was silent.

**A/N: Happy Halloween everyone, sorry it took so long for this chapter, but don't worry, I will not keep this cliffhanger hanging for long, see you all soon, and have a good holiday!**

**DG**


	53. The Spell

**Chapter 53: The Spell**

She was caught between the waking and the dreaming. The past and the present rose up twisted together and became jumbled. One moment she was having a picnic back on Oridanna with Fehl. The next moment saw her running the course back on Fury 9, with Nass and Taya at her side, and then she found herself dueling her father beside the river back on Butcher's Clearing…

Finally, there was Fenn, strong handsome Fenn; the two of them lay entwined together in the shadowy tomb of Ajunta Pal. His lips and fingers moved over her body, making her gasp and shudder with pleasure.

Avaryss groaned and shook her head.

Nothing made sense.

She could feel herself being dragged along, in the distance she thought she could hear Beric shouting at their captors, warning them to be careful with her, not to hurt her, but then…everything changed.

She found herself in the arms of a droid. HK-Sigma 3 moved quickly and silently over the broken terrain. The assassin droid said nothing, its optics focused only on a single goal, a goal that she could not see.

Why was the droid carrying her she wondered, had she been wounded, or was she just obsessing on the memory of the droid they had seen on their way through the factories, either answer might be true.

I gave the droid orders, she remembered, but in that moment, she could not remember what those orders had been, between the spell and the stun blasts, her mind had been left jumbled.

Not that it mattered right now she supposed, despite all her planning, despite all that she had done to avoid Jedi treachery, they had still fallen into a trap.

She might have cursed herself for a fool had she not prepared her spell before leaving the ship. Once it was unleashed…perhaps…she would have the chance to turn the tide back in their favor.

Hopefully.

She must have lost consciousness again, because the next time she opened her eyes, she was lying on a cold dirty factory floor. Her helmet and cloak had been removed, and her arms had been bound tightly behind her back.

She shook her head again, she was still feeling disoriented, but at least the world was starting to make sense again, things were starting to fall back into their proper order inside her head.

Through the Force, she could make out five Jedi standing around her, now that they were in close proximity, not even the strange miasma of this place could hide them. She glanced over to find Quenya and Beric in a similar state, on their knees with their hands bound. The Devish's nose was broken and her eye was blackened. The Jedi must have realized who she was and decided to take…liberties with Avaryss' acolyte.

Foolish, she thought, if they were wise, they would have killed her. By choosing to simply hurt her, all they were doing was fueling the girl's anger.

Such rage would be very useful, Avaryss could use that. It would only further bind the girl to the dark side and the Sith.

_Hm?_

_Speaking of the dark side…_

Avaryss tried to call on it to free herself, but found she could not focus, she could feel the light reaching out to her, slowing her actions, making her thoughts and emotions, harder to touch.

She glanced up to the right, and saw the reason for that. One of the Jedi, a large headed Bith was kneeling on the floor behind the others. The creature breathed in and out slowly, deep in a meditative trance. She could feel the light stretching out from the creature, forming a bubble around the Jedi and their prisoners, cutting those in touch with the dark off from its full might.

_Cute,_ Avaryss thought with a frown, but not unexpected.

She had wondered what trick Sy Dar Bynn would pull to try and contain them, but that was okay.

_She could be cute too._

"I still cannot believe that _**you**_ murdered Master Venari," a familiar voice called out from the shadows.

She looked up to see Sy Dar Bynn entered the chamber. The Jedi Master's features were all but identical to that of his twin brother, but at the same time, were far colder and more…imperious.

Despite her situation Avaryss smiled.

Sy Dar Bynn, she thought, at last.

The Jedi stepped around her, looking down at her like some insect under a magnifying glass, he radiated a cold disdain. For someone whose order was supposed to reject strong emotion, Master Sy did not seem to care that he let his own emotions flow during this meeting.

"I always knew the Sith would find out what I was doing eventually," he said, "Though I never thought that they would choose to send a little girl to try and deal with me."

She laughed lightly.

"Excellence knows no age, Master Jedi," she said confidently, "Your former master underestimated me, look what happened to him."

The kick caught her in the side of the head, sending stars blasting across her eyes. Beric cried out angrily, but could do nothing, his restraints preventing him from even being able to rise.

Avaryss shook her head again, moving her jaw, making sure it had not been damaged, feeling blood running over her lips, she could not tell if her nose had been broken, but it certainly was bleeding.

Master Sy snorted.

"That was uncalled for Xen," he told his apprentice, "This girl is no longer a threat to us."

He stared over her smiling triumphantly.

"Your plan has failed, Sith. Even as we speak, SIS commandos are dealing with the soldiers that preceded you here. By now they are either dead or in custody.

He stood a little straighter.

"You have lost."

"Have I?" she said with a bloody smirk.

"We will see."

The Jedi Padawan glared down at her; Avaryss could feel her rage roiling inside her, twisting her into knots.

"This one kills without thought or remorse, Master," the Padawan replied, "How many brave men and women have died because of her, because she has opposed your grand vision."

"Peace, Padawan," her master said, "This one will be dealt with soon enough.

Avaryss sneered at that.

"I'm not so easy to deal with, Jedi, and as for those brave men and women as you call them, they were all slain while performing actions that were violating the treaty that your Republic signed in good faith, and by doing so, how many innocents within the Empire have been killed? Do their lives mean nothing to you?"

Xen Loor barked out a cold laugh.

"There are no innocents in your hateful Empire. Your people get what they deserve."

"Really," Avaryss said in a silky voice, "So you don't consider the farmers and laborers that live on Sith worlds to be innocent? Yes, they were born into the Empire, but many of them have never taken up arms against your Republic. Then there are the slaves, are they your enemy too?"

The girl did not respond, not that Avaryss expected her to.

"Do not let this filth confuse you, Xen," her master said warmly, "We cannot afford to be timid, the Sith Empire is the greatest threat the Republic has ever known."

"We must do everything in our power to prevent its further expansion."

Avaryss listened to those words, the honeyed poison that Sy Dar Bynn poured into his followers' ears.

She did not buy it. She had lived in the Empire her whole life; she knew when an ambitious man was feeding lines to his flock.

Sy Dar Bynn had his own reasons for attacking the Empire, and she doubted it was for the common good.

"We should take this one back with us master," A green skinned Rodian Jedi said, "She has admitted to the murder of Master Brandol Venari."

The alien pinned her with a look from his blue shiny eyes.

"She should stand trial for that murder."

"Yes," Quenya piped in, "If we are being guilty as you believe, we must stand trial."

Sy Dar Bynn gave her a cold look.

"A trial would not serve you well, Quenya Sai Malloc," he said.

The Devish blinked; surprised that she had been recognized by such a well-known Jedi...

The Jedi Master smirked.

"Yes, he said, "I know your name, there was a time, given your history, I thought you would have supported what we were doing, that you would have been as brave as your storied ancestors. Now…I know different, the fact that you are here, and did not perish with our fellows at our Enclave on Myrnn, it is safe to say that we now know what happened there, don't we?"

The alien girl's lip quivered.

"It…it was not what you think, Master Sy. I was being…"

"You're a traitor," Xen spat, "and you will burn with this Sith and her lackey."

Quenya fell silent; she hung her head, no longer knowing what to say.

Avaryss did her best to hide her amusement.

So much for the vaunted concept of Jedi mercy, not that she expected any from these rogues.

"Save your breath, Quen," Beric said sullenly, "There was never any chance of us having a trial. We know too much about these people and their operations, their **illegal **operation.

The soldier shook his head.

They can't have us taking. What would their superiors say?"

Avaryss did not bother adding anything, her brother had the right of it, she thought.

There was never any chance of them standing trial if they failed, but they hadn't failed…not yet.

She still had one card left to play.

The Rodian said something in his native tongue, something she did not understand. Master Sy shook his head, unconvinced by the alien's words.

The master remained silent, but his Padawan was anything but…

She regarded their prisoners coldly; clearly she knew what had to be done.

"What is the point of a trial," Xen exclaimed, "As you said, Pendo, she has already admitted her crime."

Avaryss could sense the eagerness radiating off the Padawan.

"Let us end this creature now."

The Rodian looked up at the girl, his tiny ear twitched atop his head.

"You do not mean that, Xen," he said, "Killing an unarmed prisoner is a violation of the Jedi code."

Avaryss laughed when she heard that.

_The Jedi Code?_

_**Really?**_

"You have **already** violated your precious code," she spat, "_**All**_ of you have violated it. The moment you decided to attack the Empire, you chose to become aggressors, and that is something that your order is never supposed to be, is it?"

She glared up at Sy Dar Bynn.

"I don't have to guess how you drew these people into your web, do I? I suppose these are all survivors of Lord Malgus' raid on your precious temple? Am I right? You chose these particular Jedi because they all desired revenge against the Sith for what we did that day?"

Sy Dar Bynn sneered down at her, he laughed haughtily.

"A Jedi does not seek revenge," he said.

Avaryss grinned, the blood from her nose turning her teeth pink.

"Liar," she spat.

For the briefest of moments, she felt something from the man; it was as if a cloud has passed over the sun on a hot summer day. In that brief moment, Avaryss sensed what the Jedi had worked so hard to keep hidden all this time.

She sensed his rage, rage at being called on his lies. Rage for all of his allies that she had slain, and…most important of all.

Rage…at himself, the Jedi was no fool; he clearly knew what he was doing, and what he had asked of his followers.

He knew perfectly well that he had violated his precious code, and he knew something else as well…

Avaryss grinned.

Sy Dar Bynn did not care.

"At least the Sith are honest," she growled, "When we seek revenge, we do not quibble over what we call it. We do not try to wrap it up in some cloak of righteousness. A Sith does not deny what we are, and what we seek. We do not hide our desires. For that reason, Master Jedi…I call you a liar."

Sy Dar Bynn sneered at her.

"You certainly have a mouth on you Sith, especially considering where are you are. If we were as corrupt as you claim…I would think that a prisoner such as you would be smart enough to hold your tongue."

"A prisoner? Is that what I am?"

Avaryss shook her head.

"I know very well what I am Master Jedi. I'm a _**liability **_to your plans. If you were to arrest me, to bring me back in chains, to let me stand before your council, what might I say to them? Would they approve of what you have done? It is one thing to turn a blind eye to something when it _could _be true, and quite another when the answer stands before you."

The young Sith shook her head.

"You can't let me walk out of here alive. I know that, but the question is…what about these that stand with you?"

Avaryss grinned.

"Are they willing to take that next step and what will you all become when you do?"

Avaryss watched them all, these Jedi that had come so far.

Would they take the next logical step, or would they continue to deny what they had given into, what they had awoken within themselves.

She could sense doubt; even if she had no connection to the Force she would have seen it. Sy Dar Bynn continued to radiate contempt, but the others, those he had trusted, those that served him.

That was something else…entirely.

The Rodian was clearly uncomfortable with what she had said. The other Jedi, a dark skinned human, glanced back and forth between Avaryss and Sy Dar Bynn, perhaps considering what she had said, no doubt debating **what** she had said. The Bith remained lost in its meditative state; the creature probably had not even heard her words. That left only Xen Loor, Sy Dar Bynn's Padawan…

She had clearly made her choice.

The girl radiated darkness. She could not believe that the other Jedi could not sense it. Fear, anger, hate, the girl's emotions were like a hyper-reactor on the verge of having a meltdown. Only her choice to hold onto the Jedi teachings held that at bay, she clung to her Jedi training like it was a piece of driftwood, the only thing keeping her from drowning in a sea of darkness.

Avaryss almost laughed.

The girl was almost Sith already, all she had to do was let go of her inhibitions, accept her emotions and she would be more powerful than any of these combined.

_She wants to let go,_ Avaryss thought, _all she needs now is the will to do so, or perhaps…permission to stop pretending, to finally accept what she is._

Avaryss grinned at her.

"When this is done, Xen Loor," she said, "Please give my best to Fenn Shadowstone."

The girl blinked.

"Fenn," she said, "How…how…how do you know Fenn?"

"We've…met," Avaryss replied, "I know a little bit about what you and your…_Padawan Pack_ was it, endured during your time in Coruscant's lower levels. He gave me a…taste of the feelings you took out of that place, the betrayal you had to learn to endure."

The Padawan glared at her.

"You know nothing of what we faced!"

"You might be surprised," Avaryss said.

"Do not let her distract you Padawan," Sy Dar Bynn said quickly, cutting Avaryss off, "I told you when we began this mission that I would give you the chance to bring Sith to justice, remain focused on that."

The master scratched his chin lightly.

"You know Fenn, hmm? I always knew my brother moved in places that a Jedi should not. Perhaps I will need to take a closer look at Fenn and my dear brother.

Xen looked up at her master; Avaryss could sense the shock she was feeling.

Despite all that has happened, Xen still has a soft spot for Fenn, probably for all of her fellow pack members.

_If she thinks her dear master is threatening him?_

Avaryss could have used the spell in that moment, she could have unleashed its power, but…she held back.

She wanted to see where this might lead. She wanted to see what Xen Loor was made of.

"He is _**using**_ you girl," Avaryss spat back, "He sees your future, he _knows_ your power, and that is all he cares about, that and the prestige of having a member of the vaunted _Padawan Pack_ as his servant, his slave."

"Shut up," Xen growled under her breath.

Avaryss did not. She had found something useful.

She would not abandon it now.

"He can try to blame me all he wants for what happened at your temple, but the truth is that I was not there, I was a child when that battle occurred. I can only imagine what you have endured since. I felt something similar, once, the man that would become my master, his agents, burned my home, destroyed my family while I watched."

"This Sith betray each other," Xen said, "Everyone knows that."

"But I wasn't Sith then, not yet, I became this way, joined the order to find my own peace, my own…justice. It was something that no court in the Empire would offer. I've learned to stand on my own two feet, just as you and your friends did as you travelled through the lower levels of Coruscant."

"**SHUT UP ABOUT THAT!"** Xen snarled.

"Do not let her bait you Padawan," Sy Dar Bynn said dismissively, "The Sith is trying to manipulate you."

"Calm down, Xen," the Rodian said, "Breathe, remember, there is no emotion…there is peace."

Avaryss continued to smile.

"They do not understand you," she said, "How could they. While you struggled to stay alive, to protect the younglings in your charge, they were giving up. They were accepting the peace treaty that the Emperor forced down their throats. They gave up on you and yours. They abandoned you in darkness. Tell me Xen Loor…are these creatures truly worthy of loyalty, or do you want something more?"

The girl shook her head.

"There is no emotion," she said, "There is peace."

Avaryss giggled.

"That is it, girl, hide behind empty words, and false promises. I can sense what you want. I know what you need."

She looked down at the girl's lightsaber.

"Take your weapon, **use** it, I'm _unarmed_, strike me down, and you will know _**true**_ freedom."

Both Quenya and Beric were shocked by her words.

"Master?" the Devish murmured.

"Sister?" Beric whispered.

No one, but Avaryss heard them, the Jedi were too focused on what was going on between the Padawan and the Sith apprentice.

"You can't bait me Sith," the girl growled.

"I'm not _baiting_ you. I'm **offering** you a choice. You don't have to live in a world where you are constantly in pain, hiding what you are, pretending that you are calm and serene. I can see it in your eyes, this is **not** you."

"Silence Sith," the Rodian said.

Avaryss ignored him.

"You want to kill Sith? You want to avenge your friends, do it; do it _now_. One quick stroke of your lightsaber and the deed will be done."

"**Shut up,"** Xen hissed, **"Shut up. Shut up. Shut up."**

"Padawan," Sy Dar Bynn said, he looked confused, perhaps he had been around Xen too long, misjudged how deep her anger truly went.

_He was about to find out._

It was at that moment that Avaryss would have normally triggered the implant in her wrist, a gift from Major Forn and his people. It would activate a tracking beacon and bring the commandos here, but if Sy Dar Bynn had not been lying about his own troops intercepting them…

…No matter.

Avaryss murmured under her breath, the final incantation for the spell she had begun back on the Fury.

A shudder went down her spine.

Finally, she thought, it was time.

She felt herself beginning to slip away, or rather, back where she belonged.

She smiled wickedly.

Here is where the fun begins!

"I know your little secret, Xen Loor," she said in a taunting voice, "You don't need to pretend any more. Go ahead; you know you want to…strike me down."

The Padawan took a step towards her, and then another.

"Xen?" the Rodian asked.

"Go ahead," Avaryss said leaning forward.

"_Do it!"_

The girl shuddered, she was sweating. She looked like she was on the verge of total mental collapse. Avaryss could feel her confusion, her anger and her doubt.

"I…" she murmured, "I…"

"Padawan," Sy Dar Bynn's voice was like the crack of a whip.

"Yessss," she whispered.

"Step away, you are sworn to serve me."

Avaryss smirked.

"By all means, Xen, step away, just like the good little slave you are. Step away and…"

That did it.

Avaryss felt it, even with her senses slipping away, even as she found herself fading. She felt something snap in Xen Loor.

One moment she was standing motionless over her prisoner and the next her lightsaber was lit and raised overhead.

"_**SHUT UP!"**_

The blue blade came down. Avaryss moved, she twisted her body away from the enraged girl's attack, her flesh flowed like water, her fingers slid back into her hands, and her wrists became thin as ropes…

The binders fell away. She slipped out of her boots and arched her back over, flipping as easily as another person might have walked, none of the Jedi tried to stop her, they were too busy dealing with Xen.

They were having little luck.

The Rodian managed to get his blade up, prevent the girl from skewering their prisoner. Sy Dar Bynn's Padawan snarled; the look she gave him was one of pure rage!

"STOP GIRL!" he shouted, "There is no need to…"

Xen whirled around and attacked him. The alien tried to block, but in that moment the rage had made Xen not only fast, but extremely strong as well.

Her blade cut him from his waist to his right shoulder, his weapon fell away, as his body came apart in two pieces.

"NO!" Sy Dar Bynn shouted, he raised his hand and flung his Padawan back she struck the crumbling wall behind her hard, and slumped over, stunned.

The Jedi Master turned to Avaryss, his face a mask of anger.

"What have you done," he shouted, but fell silent as he looked at her hands or rather the whips that had were now her arms.

"What are you Sith?"

Avaryss laughed, or would have if she could, there was so little of her left, the spell had all but worn off.

"Oh, I'm not a Sith," she said, "My name is Holli, I'm a member of the Imperial engineering corps…"

The thing that had been Avaryss grinned.

"And you have just fallen into our trap."

It was with those words that everything went dark. The last thing she heard was a blaster shot and the sound of a body falling.

Avaryss opened her eyes; she awoke to the sound of blaster fire.

She was lying against the back wall of a crumbling tower. HK-Sigma 3 had its sniper rifle out, firing down into one of the abandoned factory, the one that Sy Dar Bynn had chosen for his base.

Avaryss grinned.

Her spell had worked perfectly.

Like many of the ancient magics it had fallen out of use over the last few centuries, but there was a time that the dark lords had used it with impunity. The trick was to create a mental link with one of your subjects, a connection so strong that for a time, the one you were linked to was unaware of who they truly were. Their body became a shell, a proxy form that a Sith could not only move, but also see and hear through, the perfect means to address ones followers when you couldn't afford to be away from your holdings.

The spell worked best when cast on another Force sensitive, but could be used on a mundane if needed. Holli had been perfect, she may not have been Force sensitive, but her natural speed and ability to shape shift had made her the perfect proxy.

Though…she doubted that the engineer would be happy when she realized that Avaryss had been daring Sy Dar Bynn's Padawan to kill her, Holli may have bene loyal, but had she been wrong, had Xen been faster...?

Oh well, she thought.

You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.

She rose from where HK had left her, stretched and drew a lightsaber from her belt.

"Report HK," she said.

"Answer: Two Meatbags are down, master," the droid said between shots. "The Meatbag that attacked her fellows appears to be unconscious, but I can't determine that for sure unless I get closer. The Jedi Master and his remaining servant are now trying to escape, but the auto guns this unit has planted is keeping them pinned down.

The droid fired again, and then looked up at her.

"Query: Are you not proud of me, master?"

The young Sith grinned.

"You did good HK," she said, "I'm most pleased."

She looked down at the factory, her crimson eyes glowing with anticipation.

She could sense Holli, Beric and Quenya. They were still alive, for the moment.

She lit the lightsaber in her hand. it was not the usual one she used, that one had been on Holli's belt at the start of all this, but it would serve.

"Cover me HK," she ordered.

"Things are about to get bloody."

She leapt out the window, in two leaps she would be inside the factory.

As her full powers returned, she caught what the droid had said while she had leapt away.

"Statement: It is so good to have a master who understands the joy of wanton slaughter."

She almost laughed.

Joy? She thought. I don't think I would go that far…still…

…I do love my work.


	54. The Darkness

**Chapter 54: The Darkness**

Avaryss exploded her way through one of the old factory's windows. Glass shards flew before her, pushed out of the way by the power of the Force. She leapt into the room, sword at the ready, landing like one of the Massassi champions of old, ready to defend the Empire.

She arrived to find only chaos.

The Bith Jedi was down; shot through the head, likely the first to die when HK Sigma 3 began his attack. Sy Dar Bynn and his one remaining Jedi were trying to flee only to find their exit blocked by both HK's sniper fire, and the blasts being generated by the auto guns that the droid had set up after successfully following them to this place.

Avaryss grinned.

She had not really been sure if the droid would have been able to carry out that second part of her plan. If Sy Dar Bynn had had any watchers outside…?

…Still…it seemed to have worked, just as her spell had worked.

The Jed and his cronies had been completely fooled.

It had felt strange though, using that spell. Only now that the disorientation had finally cleared did she realize just how strange it had been.

When she had been connected to Holli, she had caught a glimpse of HK carrying her, seeing that had almost undone the whole spell. Holli had almost recognized HK and as a result her mind had almost risen up and could have forced Avaryss out of it, it had not happened, but it had been a close thing.

Still…it had worked. Holli's mind was stronger than Avaryss would have suspected, but that was not necessarily a bad thing, she liked having underlings who could think for themselves, she was not above taking informed suggestions when they might lead to victory.

She did not want bootlicks in her service, she wanted soldiers and advisors. Holli might just prove to be both.

Speaking of the changeling, she had found her own fun. It seemed that Sy Dar Bynn had kept a few soldiers of his own in reserve, they responded to the blaster fire, and came charging in. Holli had changed shape again, and met them in a most…interesting way.

The creature that she had taken the shape of was out of Avaryss' own nightmares, a shadow of her past.

The engineer had taken the form of the dirty bedraggled Wookie soldier that had nearly ended Avaryss' life back on Butcher's Clearing. How the engineer _knew_ that form was beyond her, perhaps it was a side effect of the spell, perhaps something of Avaryss' memories had been left behind, an echo of sorts. The changeling had copied the creature's shape to the letter, Avaryss was sure of that, at least, her memory of that day was still fresh in her mind; she could still see the shaggy beast's face, hear his roar in her ears, and the feel of his claws as he had gutted her, gutted her, and left her to die on the floor of the jungle.

The sight made Avaryss shudder, but she did not lose control, in fact, she was slightly amused, now that she thought of it.

_Good choice_, she thought, _let these pub bastards share my dread._

She grinned openly.

Their fear…was _**just**_ beginning.

Holli had managed to free Quenya and Beric as well. Her brother had scooped up a blaster, while Quenya had managed to retrieve another lightsaber from somewhere, it wasn't her own, obviously, likely the dead Rodian's or the fallen Bith's.

Not that it mattered in the long run, none of it did; the point was that her crew was once again armed.

Now they would finally be able to end this.

Sy Dar Bynn was barking orders at his soldiers, trying to get them to target the auto-guns. It was not an order easily obeyed, not with Quenya and Beric adding to the chaos.

Avaryss left them to deal with the soldiers; she had her own dance partner to play with.

Sy Dar Bynn was getting closer to the exit.

She would be damned if she let him get away!

She leapt over him blocking his path; she dropped into a Soresu guard, her blade over her head, but pointed down at his heart.

"Going somewhere Jedi scum," she purred, "I don't think so."

He glared at her, bringing his own weapon up, dropping into a two handed combat stance.

His eyes narrowed as he noticed her blade. It was not the traditional red of the Sith, but instead a fiery blue.

"That weapon," he said, "I…know it."

"You should," she said holding it up, "It belonged to your master."

She laughed.

"I thought it…_appropriate _for our little meeting."

He frowned.

"I will never feel my master's blade."

"We will see," she replied, "You have seen how quickly I can turn things around on an enemy."

"So I have. It seems that you're more than you appear, Sith."

"Oh Yes," she laughed, "You will find me full of surprises."

He moved in fast and to the right, she met his attack and parried, she responded quickly, switching to Makashi.

He met her blade with his, its emerald hue weaving back and forth in a most skilled demonstration of Soresu.

So he is not _**all **_talk after all, she thought, good.

_I want to savor this victory._

_I do not wish it to be over too fast._

The Jedi that accompanied Sy Dar Bynn tried to attack her from behind. Avaryss parried his assault, while the master charged in, looking for a quick victory.

Quenya leapt to her aid, her own green blade flashing. She managed to draw the other Jedi's attention, pushing him back with her own assault.

Avaryss was grateful; it freed her up to deal with Jas Dar Bynn's brother.

"We did wish to face each other one on one, did we not?" she taunted.

"Let's try to keep it that way, shall we?"

She and the Jedi continued their lethal dance, all around them the battle continued to rage, soldiers firing at auto-guns, HK sniping from the shadows. Quenya and her Jedi playmate trading blows, neither willing to give an inch, and. Holli roaring and howling as she attacked the soldiers who got too close to her and Beric.

It was at that moment that she felt a sudden shift in the dark side, it felt like falling, like she had just stepped over a cliff.

Avaryss threw herself back, ducking her head, as if she was sliding beneath a low beam. A blue lightsaber passed within inches of her face, its beam so bright it momentarily blinded her.

Xen Loor was back on her feet, her blade spinning wildly; her voice a wail of pure rage and madness.

Avaryss parried one of her strikes, but was pushed back. Sy Dar Bynn tried to aid her, but she wailed and took a swing at him as well.

"YOU LIED TO ME!" she cried, "YOU **LIED!"**

"_**I WILL NEVER BE YOUR SLAVE!"**_

One of the Republic soldiers took a shot at Avaryss only to have her deflect the bolt back, catching the man in the face. He fell without a sound.

_Not now_, she almost said, _I'm trying to watch this._

She watched as Xen Loor attacked her master, all the rage and anger that he had convinced her to bottle up now exploding like a volcano.

It was an impressive sight, but at the same time…limited.

_The girl is flailing around; she does not know how to focus her anger, to draw on its power._

Avaryss shook her head.

"Padawan stop!" Sy Dar Bynn shouted, "Regain control of yourself!"

The girl did not listen; she continued to push her master back.

Avaryss shook her head again.

_She does not need control._

_She __**NEEDS**__ a teacher. _

She needs someone to show her how to channel the dark side of the Force.

Avaryss reached out with the dark side, catching the girl off-guard, she caught her in a crushing Force grip, she could have killed her right then and there; she had had no shields, no control.

Sy Dar Bynn started to move forward, it looked like he was going to take advantage of what Avaryss had done, that he was going to end his student's life.

Avaryss did not give him the chance; she flung the girl back, while at the same time casting a spell, Xen Loor's eyes rolled back in her head, not just from the impact of striking the wall, but from Avaryss' magic.

She slumped to the ground, asleep…for now.

Once again Sy Dar Bynn found himself facing Avaryss; the light of their lightsaber's casting dark shadows on their faces.

Avaryss grinned and raised the blue blade of the late Brandol Venari.

"Now," she purred, "where were we?"

The Jedi did not respond with words, he reached out his hand and drew Xen's lightsaber to him; he caught it in his left hand and ignited the blade. He dropped into a fighting stance she found…unfamiliar.

"Enough of this," The Jedi growled, "No more games."

He spun as he leapt forward the green and blue of his blades became a blur.

Avaryss fell back, but found herself caught off guard by the Jedi's choice of attack, both that and the skill he showed in using it.

She was surprised, to say the least.

She was familiar with the fighting styles of both the single hilt and the double bladed lightsaber. She had drilled to deal with those types of opponents, and had killed wielders of both. Back on Fury 9 she had read about those that chose to fight with two blades, but had never faced anyone who studied the art herself.

Jar Kai it was called, and aggressive yet acrobatic style of combat that could be as both artistic as it was lethal.

A pretty style, Master Adaz had admitted, but exhausting, you would be better to focus on your own style girl. Soresu is a shield, a shield that can even stand up to the pressures of Jar Kai.

Avaryss frowned.

In this moment, Master Adaz's opinion was being tested. It was clear that Sy Dar Bynn was no novice in the art of Jar Kai.

This…would be the ultimate test of her use of the defender's style.

The Jedi's blades were everywhere, her blade spun like a saw blade, blocking his attacks, but every time one blade was parried, another was coming at her face. She was force to give ground. The Jedi Master was both fast and stronger than he let on.

She tried to conserve her energy, keep up the wall of light she had built. She had no idea how long that Sy Dar Bynn could keep up such an onslaught.

If she could outlast him, then this battle would be hers.

There was an explosion off to her left, she risked a quick look over her shoulder, the Republic soldiers had brought up a trooper with a grenade launcher, he fired off two quick shots, and, after two loud booms, some of the fire from outside ceased.

Avaryss cursed under her breath.

The Pub was destroying the auto guns.

He needed to be stopped.

Her moment of distraction nearly cost her life, Sy Dar Bynn moved in again with a new flurry. Her blade only just managed to turn back his attack.

"Quenya," she shouted, "Kill that grenadier!"

She had no chance to see if her disciple obeyed or not, again the Jedi Master pressed the attack, and again she found herself forced back under the onslaught of his spinning blades.

"You are no match for me Sith," Sy Dar Bynn crowed, "NO SITH IS A MATCH FOR ME!"

We will just see about that, Avaryss thought, despite the man's skill, the bounty of the Force was not limited. The arrogant Jedi was expending a lot of energy.

He can't keep this up forever, and as soon as he begins to tire, he is mine.

If Sy Dar Bynn realized that, he certainly did not show it. He continued to press on.

"You will not stop me," he said, "I will bring you're your precious Empire to its knees, and when I do no one will ever doubt me again, no Jedi will ever…EVER question my commitment to the order…never again!"

Even as she continued to be pressed, Avaryss smiled.

What was this now?

"I take it that your fellow Jedi do not share your vision," she said in a dry taunting voice, "Why am I not surprised."

He sneered at her.

"Mock me all you want, Sith, but it will not save you or your foul kind. Once the Sith Empire falls apart, everyone will know who was responsible, who risked so much to see the Republic made safe again. I will carve the name of Sy Dar Bynn into the very stone of history; no one will ever forget the name of Sy Dar Bynn."

"They never understood, have they, Jedi? Your precious order has never grasped your greatness, how far you were willing to go to see them all kept safe?"

The man nodded.

"That was their failing, not mine, NEVER mine."

A growl escaped the back of his throat.

"I should have been named to the council. I was Venari's best student, and yet they chose that shutta, Satele Shan. They denied me what was mine by right. Well they will see, they will all see. I will see your Empire swept away. I shall bring your foul Emperor's head to the floor of the Senate. They will all see then, they will all know their mistake. I will make them see. I will make you ALL see!"

So ambitious, Avaryss thought, it was a shame that he sought to prove his point to the Jedi.

In another world, he could have served the Empire well.

It was at that moment that the momentum of the battle shifted. The Jedi Master sensed it, and spun around quickly.

Quenya's blade came within an eye lash of taking Sy Dar Bynn's head. He must have sensed how close it had been because he ducked underneath Avaryss' attack and struck back hard at the Devish. She had not seen the girl deal with her own opponent, but she must have done so, because now all her attention was now directed at the Jedi Master.

It was not enough.

Sy Dar Bynn drove his green blade up to the hilt into the Devish' gut, her eyes widened and her mouth fell open as the Jedi's weapon found its mark. He gestured and the girl flew back across the room striking a stone pillar so hard that it cracked from the impact.

The girl slid bonelessly to the floor and collapsed at its base.

She did not try to rise again.

The Jedi, so deep within the Force, losing himself in the fading light laughed.

"Death to traitors," he crowed, "Now I will deal with you and…"

Now Avaryss thought.

Now…she realized, now it was time.

She grinned savagely.

She struck back at her enemy…hard.

She sensed the change in the Jedi, even if he did not.

He, like many of his disciples danced too close to the edge, they walked that fine line between the light and the dark. Some might have thought that a strength, but it was not clearly they did not trust entirely in the light. Their pride and arrogance would always pull them towards the dark, and that was a place that Avaryss knew well, it was a place she had walked gladly, and embraced proudly, without fear.

She had taunted the Jedi, played on his arrogance, and now he was on the verge of crossing that line, drawing power from the dark without even really realizing it.

It was just where she needed him to be. Her opponent was playing her game now.

She did not hesitate.

His connection to the light was nearly exhausted, his moves had become less crisp, his speed slowing ever so slightly. He had not yet realized that the darkness could restore him, give him what he needed to finish this fight and kill her.

She did not give him the chance to realize that.

She ducked inside his guard and lashed out. She managed to catch Xen's lightsaber, cutting through the beam emitter. The weapon sparked and went out. Sy Dar Bynn was forced to adjust his attack, abandon use of Jar Kai and shift back into the familiar style of Makashi. She let herself slip deeper into the darkness, drinking deep of his anger and pride. It revitalized her, nourished her, any sense of fatigue she felt faded. She felt hungry and refreshed.

Sy Dar Bynn fell back now, he tried to dip into the light, to restore his strength from it, but that path was almost blocked to him now, his emotions, his secret desires and actions had caused him to stray from that path.

Now it was he that was struggling.

Now it was he that was starting to know fear.

She brought her sword down hard, their blades locked; their faces mere inches from each other.

She grinned.

"Your powers are weak, old man," she taunted, "You are not the Jedi you believe yourself to be."

She giggled.

"You are not your brother that is for sure. Now there is a Jedi that I'm wary of fighting. You are nothing to him, a mere shadow of his greatness, you are…"

SY Dar Bynn roared, he pushed her back, but not as far as he would have normally, the attack had been powered mostly by dark side energy. She drank it up.

He charged at her, howling like a maddened animal.

"MY BROTHER IS NOTHING! NOTHING!" He wailed, "I WAS ALWAYS BETTER! ALWAYS!"

Sy Dar Bynn practically glowed with a crimson aura; the dark side tearing away the last of the Jedi's mask.

"He should never have returned, NEVER! He should have died when we were children. He should have perished when I stopped him from reaching the escape pod. He should have DIED! I have always been better. ME! ME! ME!"

The confession shocked her.

Sy Dar Bynn had betrayed his own brother, his own blood! He had tried to murder him when they were children.

Avaryss was impressed.

She was not sure if she wanted to kill this man or if she should be taking notes.

He was an insidious one this Sy Dar Bynn, but he was also still an enemy of the Empire.

She could not let her feelings get in the way of her duty. Darth Marr and the council had demanded this man's head.

She was going to deliver.

He was no longer trying to shield himself with the light, but not yet ready to give himself over to the darkness. Sy Dar Bynn was vulnerable.

She reached out with the darkness.

She ripped the lightsaber from the old Jedi's hand; before he could call it back she gestured slightly and concentrated.

The bones in his fingers snapped like twigs.

He cried out in agony.

She raised her left hand.

She blasted him down with Force lightning.

Sy Dar Bynn when flying back, he struck the stone floor hard. Dark side energy crackled across his body, Again the Jedi tried to call on the light, tried to shield himself.

He still did not understand.

She blasted him again, and again, and again.

"No," he gasped, "It…it is impossible."

She sneered down at him.

"Old fool," she taunted, "Only now…at the end…do you truly understand."

She put away her lightsaber. She raised her right hand.

Lightning now crackled from both hands. Sy Dar Bynn writhed on the floor, still not understanding what had happened, what had changed.

It was delicious.

He does not deserve the dignity of a quick death at the edge of a lightsaber, the darkness within her whispered. The man is a fool and a hypocrite.

Burn him, the darkness whispered seductively, burn him alive! Savor his end, enjoy it!

Why not, she thought.

Why not?

She blasted him again, and again. His screams were intoxicating, as she watched him writhing on the ground; she felt the growing darkness within her. It did not bring pleasure though, it brought rage, pure white and hot.

This fool thought he was our superior.

Teach him how wrong he was.

Teach him!

She blasted him again, and again.

His screams his whimpers sickened her.

He is unworthy of the Force.

He is unworthy of life!

The Force seemed to draw her mind forward. She was no longer on Nar Shadda, many years had passed. She was an old woman, a very old woman, and ruler of an Empire. The entire galaxy writhed and whimpered beneath her heel.

The young Jedi in black lay at her feet, her Force Lightning crackled around him. He was in agony, crying out to father, crying out for help.

Her rage blazed brightly at his weakness. She…

"KEERA!"

A familiar voice drew her back from the brink, back from the distant future and back to the here and now.

She blinked.

Sy Dar Bynn lay whimpering at her feet, he lay broken…he was broken.

She raised her hands to give him another blast.

"KEERA!"

She hissed and spun around.

"KEERA IS GONE!" she shouted, "I'm AVARYSS! I'm…"

She paused her hands crackling with Force lightning.

Beric jumped back, his eyes wide with fear.

She blinked.

She…she had nearly.

She looked down at her hands.

She had been a breath away from blasting him with lightning, for daring to call her by that fool girl's name.

Yet…seeing his face, the face of a loved one, it stopped her in her tracks.

She took a shuddering breath. Her anger was once again firmly under her control, held in check by her will.

"Brother," she sighed, pushing back the darkness, regaining control of herself.

"What is it Beric?"

She asked.

"We need your help," he said, "The…the battle is over, but…Quenya…she still lives…but…she is hurt bad."

Avaryss shook her head.

"We…we are victorious?" she asked, her mind not fully back in the present.

"We are," he promised her.

She nodded, grimly.

"Our losses?"

"I'm okay. Holli is too. We haven't heard back from HK or Major Forn and his people, but…"

Avaryss glanced over her shoulder; she looked down at Sy Dar Bynn with contempt.

"What about the conspirators?"

"That girl…that Xen…she is still alive."

Avaryss nodded.

"Good," she said, "Very good."

She smiled wickedly.

"Bring this one," she said gesturing to Sy Dar Bynn, "Do not kill him, yet."

Beric blinked, unsure he had heard her right.

"You…want me to bring him…alive?"

She nodded.

"Oh yes, brother," she said in a silky voice, "I will see to Quenya, and then…I shall contact Mister Rink. It is time we were on our way."

Beric leaned down; he pulled out a pair of binders from his belt, securing the broken Jedi's wrists.

"What are you going to do with him?" He asked.

"Patience, Beric," she cackled.

"I have something…special in mind for this one, something…_delicious._"

She turned without another backward glance.

"Come brother," she said.

"We are celebration bound."


	55. Converts

**Chapter 55: Converts**

Avaryss found Quenya lying where she had fallen. Beric's assessment of the situation had not done it justice. Quenya Sai Malloc was not simply "hurt bad."

Avaryss frowned.

Quenya Sai Malloc…was dying.

The battle field had fallen silent. Bodies littered the factory floor. Most of those bodies were either Republic or Jedi, most, but not all.

It seemed that they had been reinforced while Avaryss had been dealing with Sy Dar Bynn. Major Forn's commandos had finally managed to catch up with them. Those soldiers now moved throughout the Jedi' safe house, securing it against any further threat, there were far fewer than there had been when they began this mission, Avaryss thought that the commandos had lost between three fourths or half their number.

Her soldiers had paid a heavy price for this victory, but it was a victory, none the less.

Avaryss sought out Major Forn, but did not see him among the soldiers.

"Who is in charge here," she called out.

"That would be me, my lord," one of the soldiers said snapping to attention and saluting.

"What is your name, soldier," she asked.

"Lieutenant Mithel, my lord."

"Where is Major Forn, Lieutenant," she asked.

The young man shifted uncomfortably.

"Dead, my lord, he was killed in the ambush these Pubs set up for us."

Avaryss cursed under her breath.

Damn, she thought.

Forn had been a good soldier, but perhaps, not _that_ good.

He had fallen into the same trap she had, had he not?

She at least had been able to fight her way out of it.

"Then you have inherited his duties, then," she said glancing at the remaining soldiers.

"I expect you to live up to his example."

""Yes, my lord," the young man said snapping to attention, "All will be as you say, my lord."

Avaryss nodded, pleased.

The boy knew his place.

"Prepare your men to move out," she ordered, "If you have any demolition charges, set them accordingly, we can leave no trace of our actions here."

"It will be done, my lord," the lieutenant said saluting again, immediately he began barking orders to the remaining members of this team.

Avaryss nodded.

Well trained this one.

She would mention that to the captain upon their return to the destroyer, such professionalism should be rewarded after all, but first, she had another matter to attend to. They could not leave Quenya behind, alive or otherwise. She knew too much about Avaryss' operations.

She would need to handle this matter…quickly.

Ensign Holli sat at her side, holding the broken Devish' hand, the engineer had wrapped herself in the brown robe of a slain Jedi, the combat suit she had worn when she had doubled Avaryss had been left in tatters after her transformation into the Wookie form she had used to fight this battle.

She glanced up when Avaryss and Beric moved to her side, but otherwise did not move. Avaryss did sense a change in the engineer, a sense of…skittishness that she had not sensed before.

_Why,_ Avaryss wondered, _the spell that she had used did no lasting damage to the host body, according to the records she had read, it was not so different than going to sleep._

It was not like you could see what was happening around you while you slept.

"Are you hurt?' she asked.

Holli shook her head no.

"It is nothing serious, my lord," she said, managing a weak smile, " A few scrapes and burns, but no one had any real chance to do any real damage, I think that I surprised them."

"No doubt," Beric said nodding thoughtfully, "Why did you never tell any of us that you were a changeling?"

"She told me," Avaryss said quickly, before any argument could break out between the two. Beric was her brother and a good soldier, but he was also pure Sith Military.

She knew the military opinion on aliens serving among them, an opinion she feared that Beric shared.

"It was my will that Holli's secret was kept, and no one can doubt that it was useful, our enemy suspected nothing."

"If it matters," Holli added, "I've always considered myself an imperial officer first and foremost, I rarely use my…natural abilities."

Beric nodded, if he understood Avaryss could not say.

"It still would have been nice to have known," he said under his breath.

"It was **my **choice, lieutenant," Avaryss reminded him, "Holli saved my life back on Hoth, she earned our silence, and besides…we all have our secrets after all, don't we?"

She gave him a sly smile.

"I think we can excuse Holli's choice to keep this particular one to herself."

Avaryss leaned in closer, so that only the engineer could hear her.

"Did any of these soldiers see you change?" she asked, "Do any of them know what you are?"

"No, Milord," Holli said, "I had returned to my human form before they arrived."

Avaryss smiled.

"Good," she said, "Very good, "it saves us having to take steps to protect your secret."

Holli winced, she was quite smart, she no doubt understood what it was that the young Sith meant.

Holli was Avaryss' secret; she would not let it slip out to others beyond her crew.

She would kill to keep that from happening.

Knowing that Holli was safe, Avaryss now turned her attention to the wounded Devish.

It did not look good.

The girl radiated pain. When she had struck the wall she had clearly broken many bones. Her arms and legs were twisted like some rag doll, her right arm bent at an angle that was not possible in nature, not normally anyway. Plus, there was the lightsaber hole burned through her gut. The blade may have cauterized the wound, but…

It would not save her; the girl's injuries were too extensive. Had they had a medical droid here, they might have been able to stabilize her long enough to get her to a kolto tank, but here…

No, she was already dead, she just had not accepted it yet.

She could feel Quenya's presence in the Force flickering, she was not gone, yet, but every moment they waited drew her closer and closer to that abyss.

"Can we move her," Holli asked, "We have to get her to a kolto tank."

"She would not survive being moved," Beric said shaking his head, "It is amazing that she had lasted this long."

Avaryss looked down at her wounded disciple; Quenya stared backed at her with eyes clouded with pain.

"How are you feeling?" she asked the Devish.

The girl laughed a laugh that turned into a groan of pain.

"I can't feel my legs," she confessed, "I am trying to stay focused on that, is be better than thinking about the rest of the pain, yes?"

She winced and coughed, blood and saliva ran from her mouth.

"It…it seems that I will not be being heralded as a hero," she said, "It is seeming that my place is to die here."

Avaryss frowned.

As a Sith, she should have simply let the girl go, or at the very least put her out of her misery. Quenya had always questioned her place in the dark side. Perhaps this was its punishment for failing to let go and accept her new reality?

Yet…she had fought bravely here, and she had aided Avaryss when she needed it, she had saved her life.

_It is the destiny of the weak to die for the strong,_ the darkness whispered, _the girl has learned her place, now…she should die and prove that ideal._

That translation is how most Sith would see this. They would see Quenya's end as an extension of the Sith philosophy, but that still did not change the fact that she had risked her life for her master.

Such courage should be rewarded, should it not?

Avaryss looked around, there was something she could do, but it was not for prying eyes, and it could be lethal to those not in touch with the Force.

The young Sith nodded, she had come to her decision.

"Clear the room," she called out; both her own crew and the surviving commandos looked up.

"Secure our prisoners for transport," she ordered Beric, "I need to speak with Quenya in private. We must be ready to move as soon as I join you."

The soldiers, use to obeying the orders of a Sith, followed them without question. Beric and two of the commandos secured Sy Dar Bynn and his Padawan for transport. Avaryss did not speak again until she was sure that the soldiers were away. She went so far as to check using the Force, making sure that no one remained within ear shot.

What was about to happen was for Quenya's ears, and hers alone.

"You will not survive much longer," she told her wounded disciple.

Quenya coughed and shook her head.

"It is being alright," she said, "I am not being afraid to die."

"Even if you don't have to," Avaryss asked, "this does not have to be the end for you."

She smiled slyly.

"I can save you."

Quenya, despite the pain, gave her a curious look.

"The dark side is not being strong in the healing arts."

"True," Avaryss said, "But this will _**not**_ be healing, not in the purest sense. It would be using the dark side to force your body to be repaired."

Quenya gave her a skeptical look, but at the same time, Avaryss sensed a flicker of hope inside of her.

She smiled.

Perhaps this did not have to be the end for them after all.

"But there is a price, power always carries a price, Quenya, the dark side most of all."

"What…what price?" the Devish asked, she coughed and coughed.

It would not be much longer.

Avaryss' smile turned into a frown.

"You must stop resisting. I can use Sith magic to make you whole again, but you need to let go and stop trying to find your way into the light. This spell will not work on someone who still clings to the weak trappings of the Jedi."

Avaryss gave her a cold look.

"Embrace your fear and hate, and I can save you. If you continue to resist, cling to the light you will die. The choice is yours."

Avaryss could see Quenya wrestling with her decision. The girl did not want to die, not if there was a chance to live, but at the same time, she still feared what she might become, much as a young girl named Keera Lylos feared how the dark side would change her.

She had gotten over that fear, accepted the change.

It was time for Quenya Sai Malloc to do the same.

"I…I can't," she murmured.

"Do you want to die?"

"No."

"Then stop resisting this, you know that I can do what I promise. You just have to let go."

Quenya gasped and shuddered, a wave of pain rippled through the Force, she was still holding on but…

A wave of fear washed away any bravery that the girl might have felt.

She looked at Avaryss with desperate eyes.

"No," The Devish gasped, "I…I don't want…"

"You know the price girl," the young Sith growled, "Pay it, and be done with it."

"Master," she gasped, "Master Avaryss…please don't let me go."

"Save yourself, you have the power…now do it."

Quenya glared at her, Avaryss could feel her anger rising, her hate.

Finally, she said the words.

"Yes."

"Yes? Yes, what?"

"I…I am accepting your offer."

Avaryss closed her eyes and reached out with the Force.

She opened them and glared at the girl.

"You're lying," she spat.

"I'm not."

"If you weren't you will be under my power, the magic would be fixing you."

"I said I accept."

"STOP LYING AND LET GO!"

"I have."

"NO YOU…"

"_**I SAID I ACCEPT!"**_ the Devish gasped blood and saliva dripping from her mouth.

Avaryss shuddered, she felt the change, and smiled.

She gestured with her hands, gathering the darkness to her.

"Excellent," she said opening her eyes, she let her body fill with the darkness the death and pain that been unleashed by the battle here. She glowed with violet light, her eyes becoming two yellow stars, blazing in the darkness.

She placed a hand on the dying Devish girl's forehead.

"Now," she murmured, "Be whole."

The dark side reached out and enveloped Quenya Sai Malloc.

The alien girl screamed. She wailed in agony.

_It is okay_, Avaryss thought; _your old self is dying. Don't worry…it happens to all of us._

She felt the dark side moving through her, it drew deep from the bodies of the slain, Jedi, Republic, and imperial, all withered under the touch of darkness, all that they might have been flowed into Avaryss, flowed into her, and through her.

Quenya's body became one with the darkness.

For Avaryss it was a heady sensation.

Part of her wanted to try to hold onto the energy to keep it for her own. Perhaps even to drain away what remained inside Quenya. She resisted that desire, it would not serve here.

She knew from past experience that she could not hold onto that energy, it would just slip away if she tried, no she could use it though, pour it into Quenya save her life.

The Sith apprentice grinned.

She would transform her reluctant disciple into a true ally of the Sith.

It was a delicious idea.

She continued to draw in energy, to force it into the dying girl's body, she felt her bones knitting back together, the wound in her belly being forced to regenerate.

The girl had been very close to death, perhaps too close.

It was a miracle that Avaryss was able to pull her back.

Quenya thrashed under her touch, her spine restored, her body becoming more and more whole by the second, and then…just as quickly as it began, it was over.

The girl's eyes rolled back into her head, and she fell still.

Avaryss gasped as the connection ceased, for that one brief moment she felt…supercharged, the dark side filling her up, making her strong, almost…invincible.

It faded as quickly as it had come, she found herself back in her old body, her connection to the darkside back to normal.

She looked down at Quenya, the girl breathed easily once again, she now bore a scar across her belly, but for the most part she was fully healed.

Avaryss grinned.

The dark side comes through again.

"Quenya?" she said in a sing song voice, "Wake up."

The Devish's eyes opened, no longer were they the pale yellow of her people, they now blazed the golden and red of the Sith.

_**"RARRRRRH!"**_

Quenya lunged forward, seizing Avaryss by the throat and forcing her to the ground, the girl's sharp nails dug into her neck, and if not for the Force, holding those fingers at bay, she might have been choking Avaryss at that moment.

The young Sith laughed.

_Finally,_ she thought.

_…There was the anger she had been looking for._

"You're feeling better I take it?" she asked the girl sweetly.

Quenya continued to glare at her, no doubt angry that he fingers could not dig in tighter to her savior's throat.

_There was gratitude for you_, Avaryss thought.

_Oh well,_ she thought, _you're welcome, none the less._

The girl growled again.

"Unhand me," Avaryss ordered.

The girl did not let go.

Avaryss gestured. Quenya was thrown back hard. Avaryss rolled over cartwheeling back to her feet. Quenya tried to rise, but the young Sith pinned her in a Force grip; she struggled and snarled, more animal than person in that moment.

"Control of yourself," Avaryss said, "I did not save your life so that you could turn into a slavering animal."

Quenya finally stopped fighting, yet she still held her savior with cold gaze.

"The anger," the Devish hissed, "the hate…I…I was not being prepared, not for this, not for what it meant."

She dug her nails into the stone; if looks could kill Avaryss would have been stone dead in that moment.

"I _**hate**_ you," Quenya spat.

"You're welcome," Avaryss said sweetly, "As for you hate, you will learn how to deal with it, to nourish it, and let it feed your power. Only I can guide you down this path now. What I did, how I saved your life, it has bonded you to me in a very intimate way. You are mine now."

Avaryss gave her a cold imperious look, standing straight and proud.

"Kneel before your master."

Quenya hissed, but at the same time, Avaryss felt acceptance rippling out through the Force. The girl had opened the door and stepped through, there was no going back now.

Avaryss released her, and stood back while the girl found her way to her knees, to her knees, and bowed her head in submission.

Avaryss nodded.

The apprentice had learned the first lesson.

"What is thy bidding," she hissed.

"That we return to the destroyer, and quickly," Avaryss said, "If the Jedi have any more allies here we will need to be away quickly.

Quenya smiled, not the smile she had worn before, but a Sith smile, a predator's smile.

"We can be asking Sy Dar Bynn," she said, "He will be talking, I think, after he has been properly…motivated."

Avaryss almost laughed.

"I could not have said it better myself, apprentice," she said gesturing for her student to rise.

"Then let us be returning to the ship then," Quenya said smiling.

"Let us be having some fun."

IOI

The journey back to the Vaiken's Fist passed without incident.

The commandos destroyed the Jedi safe house; they made it look like a gas line explosion. If the Hutts complained, there would be little evidence linking the Sith to the destruction, if any. Plus, those that lived in the abandoned factory district would make little complaint, or at least, any complaint that would be listened to.

Bound and gagged, Sy Dar Bynn and his apprentice could only glare at the Sith and her followers. Both Beric and Holli had been shocked to see Quenya walk out of the building under how own power. Plus, the girl's very presence in the Force had changed, she had gone very close to death, far closer than most would have liked.

It had left its mark on her, what that meant in the future, she could not say.

She sent word ahead to have one of the interrogation suites prepared. She was eager to find out more about the conspiracy, how many Jedi were involved, and where they might be hiding. If anyone would have answers to those questions it would be the man in charge.

As for Xen Loor, she continued to blaze with the dark side, she felt like a star on the verge of going supernova.

Quenya glanced over at Avaryss, her new Sith eyes glowing in the dim light of the shuttle.

"I thought we were going to kill them?" she whispered, "Is that not what the Dark Council was asking for? Wasn't that what they are expecting from you?"

"Patience, my friend, they will die," Avaryss said, "But only once I've extracted what I need to know.

The Devish nodded, Avaryss could sense her impatience however, her desire to end this.

Avaryss frowned.

_We need to work on this, the dark side can be like a drug if you let it, the trick was nurturing patience, and recognizing when to hold it in check, and when to release it._

Quenya would need to understand that, but that understanding only came through time and training.

She still had so much to learn.

She took her place beside Rink, who had come to get them. The old freighter that the Sith had used for the pick-up was one of many ships that Sith intelligence kept for infiltration missions. It looked worn down, but Imperial engineers had kept it in full working order.

Rink had noticed the change in Quenya, not just the way she moved, but the way she felt in the Force, the boy might not have been Force sensitive, but you did not have to be to notice the change.

Quenya was no longer hiding her emotions, they flowed freely now. Avaryss was surprised to sense a…attraction between Rink and the Devish, or rather; the alien girl was attracted to him... He did not seem to notice it, too lost in his own attraction to his missing Twilek girl, she supposed.

She would mention it to Rink, later; make sure he was aware not to send out any signals that her new student might…misinterpret.

Sith knew what they wanted, and could get angry if their desire was resisted or denied.

She would rather that Quenya not kill her pilot over some…misunderstanding.

Captain Brune had been waiting for them when they arrived. He was surprised to see that they had brought prisoners back. Avaryss assured him not to worry.

The prisoners would not be staying long.

The interrogation suite was ready by the time the Sith and her crew had stepped down the ramp.

Avaryss was eager to get started.

It had been too long since she had had a chance to truly indulge her darker impulses.

She was quite eager to begin.

Xen Loor was taken in first, after what had happened on Nar Shadda she was quite eager to speak with the girl alone.

They had much to talk about.

She let Quenya play with her first. This would be the Devish' first time using an interrogation console. Avaryss stayed back, making sure that the girl did not push the Padawan too hard.

Avaryss had something special in mind for her.

"Easy," she warned her student, "Let us not do any lasting damage, at least…not yet."

Quenya giggled, enjoying her new freedom, her liberation from the shackles of the light.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" the Padawan snarled, her eyes now glowing as golden as Quenya's any self-control that she might have once had having been thrown away.

"Why," Avaryss asked, "Why would you want to kill us?"

Xen glared at her, her dark side eyes flashing.

"You are Sith," she hissed, "You murdered so many of my friends, so…so many of my teachers!"

Avaryss sighed.

"I am not one of the Sith that attacked your temple. I don't know why I have to keep explaining that."

She shook her head.

"May I make a small suggestion here?"

Xen was panting, struggling against the restraints; Avaryss had had Quenya give her just enough Sith poison to dull her powers. The young Sith knew the damage that an overdose could do.

She was not about to waste the girl's talents if she did not have to, in fact she had a plan.

Now she just had to see if the girl would play along with it.

"You know…your conspiracy did not have the desired effect you wanted. The Empire is not in danger of falling apart, in never really was. As soon as the lords realized what was going on, what you and your friends were doing, they realized that it was better to use you. They pointed you in the direction of troublesome rivals, and used you to eliminate them.

Avaryss shook her head.

"Sy Dar Bynn has been serving the Empire the whole time; he simply did not know it."

"You're lying," Xen hissed; she looked like she wanted to tear out Avaryss' throat with her bare hands. She might even have tried if she was not restrained.

Such fire could be useful, Avaryss knew, she had read enough of Darth Hecaetus' writings to recognize a resource when she found it.

She was not willing to let this one simply pass away not if she could help it.

She smiled.

"It has been almost eight years since that attack. The Sith that carried it out have grown old and complacent in that time. Angral, Malgus and the others, they profited well from role in their attack, but success has made them go soft, now…they are vulnerable, just waiting for someone to knock them off their perch.

She gave Xen a sly wink.

"You just have to know how best to strike at them."

Xen ceased her struggles, despite her anger, she was listening now, wondering what exactly it was the Sith was offering. They had gone from torture to talk.

The girl no doubt wanted to know why.

"Someone told me once, that only a Sith could destroy another Sith," Avaryss continued, "I have my own enemies in the Sith order, those that will not survive my vengeance when the time comes. I recognized the fact that the best way to get close to them was to join the order myself, to learn their secrets and to trick them into letting down their guard. It is a slower plan perhaps, but the chance of success is far higher, and when you get to do the deed yourself, the result…well…it is far sweeter than simply watching a ship explode in the distance."

Xen said nothing, she continued to listen, continued to watch.

Unlike Quenya she would not have to push hard with this one.

Xen already knew the truth, she was simply afraid to admit it.

"Your master was nothing," Avaryss said drawing closer, whispering in the girl's ear. In seeking to end the Sith he opened himself up to the power of the dark side, he felt its power, but in the end was too cowardly to embrace it, to take that next logical step.

Avaryss shook her head.

"His limitation was his downfall.

Xen blinked, her lip quivered she looked like she was about to cry.

"I felt it," she confessed, "When I tried to strike at you, I felt…I felt the change. I felt it when Pendo died…when…when I…killed him."

Xen whimpered; the sound that escaped her throat after was between a moan and a giggle.

"I never realized how strong the dark was until that moment. I heard its call when we were in the lower levels, but…I denied it. For Fenn and the others, I turned away.

The girl shook her head.

"I was such a fool."

"You were naïve, but that is something that can be changed, you can learn from your past mistakes and move forward."

"How," Xen asked, "Being a Jedi, being trained to be one is all I know. I…I don't want to live with that hypocrisy anymore. Master Sy said it our duty to protect the rabble from themselves, but…he was wrong."

The girl's eyes narrowed.

"No one deserves protection, they need to get out of the way or be cut down."

Avaryss smirked.

"See," she said, "You have already learned from your mistake. That is the first step to finding true knowledge."

"Yes," Xen agreed, "But…the Empire is still responsible for so many deaths. I lost so many friends, how do l live with that?"

"By claiming justice of course," Avaryss said, "Even now I'm rising through the Sith ranks. If I end the threat of Sy Dar Bynn's conspiracy, I will rise even faster, and where I go, my associates will not be far behind."

Xen nodded, she had a quick mind.

She knew what it was Avaryss was offering.

"The best we to deal with an enemy, is from the inside," the Jedi girl said nodding, "You could get me closer to them, couldn't you, Malgus and the others, those that destroyed our temple?"

"I could," Avaryss said, but what would be in it for me?"

"I was my master's apprentice," she said, "His right hand; I learned many of his secrets, including how to contact the leaders of the other cells we set up."

"Cells," Avaryss said, "What cells."

The girl smiled.

"Master Sy had a way of contacting the others, a special frequency that only those who agreed to help us knew. He even set up a fall back spot if something unforeseen happened, a way to bring all the leaders together to reevaluate our strategy."

Xen giggled, but at the same time had tears running down her face.

"I can give them to you, all of my master's pawns. You could end his plan in a matter of hours."

"And why would you do this?" Avaryss asked.

"So you could take me with you," Xen said, "You could get me close to Angral and the others, the ones I want to kill. I had thought master Sy's plan would do that, but I was a fool, he does not understand the Sith, he does not understand the dark side."

She looked at Avaryss with new eyes.

"But you do, you could get me closer, so close that my enemies would never see me coming. I could end them all, and watch as the life leaves their eyes. I…I want that."

Xen ceased her struggling.

"I will give you them, all of them," the girl promised, "If you promise to take me with you, give me the chance to avenge my friends and teachers."

"You will need to know more about the dark side if you are to be accepted," Avaryss warned her, "Are you prepared to learn?"

Xen laughed.

"Master Satele and the rest of the council are weak, Master Sy recognized that, and he was too cowardly to take the next step. I am not."

She nodded.

"I'm willing to learn," she promised, "If you will teach me."

"What?!" Quenya said, "Master Avaryss, you cannot be doing this!"

"Afraid of a little competition Quenya," Avaryss laughed, "You want to be my heir and apprentice; you will need to prove yourself, like this one is willing to."

The Devish frowned, she was unhappy with this, Avaryss knew, good.

Let them fight, the darkness whispered, Xen and Quenya will be so busy competing for your attention that they will never think of joining forces to challenge me directly. In time the stronger of the two will emerge, and she will be my true apprentice, and by that time, I will have grown more powerful still.

It will be…a most intriguing game.

Avaryss nodded.

"You shall be my apprentice then," she informed Xen Loor, "I will teach you the ways of the dark side, and together we will deal with our enemies, and redraw the map, remaking the Empire in our image."

Xen giggled, she sounded like a child on feast day morning.

"At last," she said, "I have found something real, a goal that is reachable, and an ally to see me through it."

She bowed her head; she would have knelt had she not been restrained.

"I accept your offer, my lord," she said, "Please, train me."

Avaryss nodded and gestured with her right hand.

The restraints fell away, and Xen Loor dropped to the floor, kneeling before her new lord and master.

"I'm ready," she said, "What do you wish of me."

Avaryss smiled broadly. She had never been so pleased.

Darth Hecaetus was right.

Corruption could be both easy and fun!

Of course one final test remained one final act to make sure that Xen Loor was serious about all this.

She went over to the interrogation console and pressed a series of buttons.

The wall to their left irised open, revealing the cell next door.

Sy Dar Bynn hung from his own interrogation table, he was heavily drugged, but even then the man radiated both anger and disbelief.

"This can't be happening," he gasped, "I'm…I'm Sy Dar Bynn. I'm superior! I must be dreaming. I must wake up from this nightmare. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up."

Xen blinked.

"What is this?" she asked.

Avaryss came up beside her, handing the girl the lightsaber she had taken from Sy Dar Bynn's master.

"This is your first test," Avaryss said, "Your trial of faith."

The Sith grinned.

"This man stands in the way of your journey, of your desire to kill your enemies. You know what you must do."

Avaryss stepped back, her hand on her own lightsaber, just in case this was all some ruse.

"You know what you must do," she repeated as Xen Loor looked down at the lightsaber in her hands.

"Kill him," She said, "Kill him now."

Xen blinked, her Sith's eyes wide with surprise.

"Go ahead," Quenya said from behind the console, clearly not thinking the other girl had the guts.

"We are waiting."

Xen looked over at Avaryss.

"But I…"

"You know what you must do," Avaryss reminded her.

"Do it."


	56. Endings

**Chapter 56: Endings**

Avaryss watched closely as the girl considered her next move. She looked at her master, bound to the interrogation table, then…down at the lightsaber in her hand. Xen Loor's fingers curled tightly around the hilt as she looked up at her master, her _**former**_ master, again.

Avaryss tilted her head, curiously.

The girl was hesitating, she should have been angry, but she wasn't. The hesitation the girl was showing was not from fear, she would have sensed that…no…this was something else…

She could feel the girl's excitement, the thought of killing Sy Dar Bynn intrigued her, but…something was still holding her back.

"You…you want me…you want me to…kill him," Xen Loor murmured, yet she still did not move towards her former master.

"She is being unworthy to carry out your orders, master," Quenya said with a sneer, "She is not being worthy of being your new apprentice."

Avaryss shot the Devish a cold look. Angering Xen here would not help. The young Sith did not want the girl killing her master in a fit of rage, she wanted her to do it because it was the next step in her training. She needed to rid herself of the past.

Avaryss turned to Xen, the girl worried her lower lip with her teeth; she held the lightsaber firmly in both hands, clinging to it for dear life.

"It is not easy is it?" she asked.

"No," Xen agreed, "He…he was my master for so long. I learned at his feet and…we…we had a connection."

Avaryss gave her a sympathetic look.

"It is not **meant** to be easy," she said, "It shouldn't be. That is why this is considered a test. A mundane would never understand. The bonds formed by apprentice and master are strong. Even when you hate the person you have learned from, that connection remains, it holds onto you, and refuses to let go.

As she spoke the words, Avaryss realized something surprising.

She was not just talking about Sy Dar Bynn and Xen Loor; she was…speaking about herself and Darth Feer as well.

The thought made her frown.

She had sought the man's death for years now…he had had her family murdered, manipulated her during her training, but at the same time, he had also rewarded her successes. He had taught her things she would never have learned in the academy system. He _**had **_made her a _**better**_ Sith.

Hate was the not only emotion she had for Darth Feer, not anymore. In spite of everything that had happened. She felt a degree of respect for her lord, perhaps even…_affection?_

It was insane, but it was there.

When the time came to finally end him, it would not just be elation that she would feel. When he was gone…she would likely…miss the evil old fool. He had been in her life for so long, she could barely remember what it was like _**not**_ to hate him, not to contemplate his end.

_When that end finally came, what would she be?_

_What would she become?_

She walked up to Xen and put a friendly hand on her shoulder.

"It is not meant to be easy," she repeated, "But…it must be done. He stands in the way of you becoming what you must. What you want to be... You must make the choice. I cannot do it for you."

Avaryss turned to Quenya; the Devish was still standing behind the interrogation console.

"Release his shackles," she ordered, "Let Xen here prove herself to us."

The Devish frowned, but she obeyed, she entered the correct series of commands.

Sy Dar Bynn's bonds fell away; he dropped to his hands and knees on the deck.

Avaryss gently nudged her new apprentice forward. The moment had come, now Xen had to decide what she was going to do with it.

Now…she thought, now is the time to see what the girl is truly made of.

"Make your choice," Avaryss purred in her ear.

The girl frowned as she stepped forward.

_Now is the time,_ the young Sith thought.

_Now…we shall see._

Sy Dar Bynn continued to babble as his student approached him. He did not seem fully aware of where he was or what was going on. His supreme self-confidence had been shaken by his defeat; it might even have been broken.

He was likely no threat to the Empire now; all his followers would have to do is look at him, to see him for the false prophet he was.

He had not been tortured, not yet, simply secured in a room. Avaryss had watched him on the monitors, being captured, being defeated by an enemy that he had felt was his lesser had done something to the man. He no longer felt like a Jedi. What he was now, was something less, and perhaps, far worse.

The Jedi that had once walked with senators and other Republic officials was gone.

He looked around the room, his gaze darting back and forth, perhaps looking for a way to escape. His eyes were wild, one was twitching uncontrollably. His robes were torn and dirty his right hand shook as he tugged at his sleeve.

_More animal than man now_, Avaryss thought.

It would be interesting to see what his Padawan thought of this, seeing her master the way he was now.

He looked up at Xen, Avaryss felt him change in the Force, the clouds of confusion parted, and briefly he was himself again.

"_Xen,"_ he gasped, "You…you are **free."**

The girl nodded, her hands never leaving the lightsaber. She still held the weapon in a death grip.

The Jedi Master smiled.

"We can get out of here," he said, "We are not beaten yet; there…there is still hope for us. We can escape! The others are still free, we can rebuild the operation, make it better than before, the Sith will not even know what hit them until it is too late."

"The plan was a failure," Xen said coldly.

Sy Dar Bynn shook his head in denial.

"We just need to get out of here. I need to get out of here. This…this…it cannot be how I end. I have such a grand destiny, Xen. You know it to be true. I will lead the Jedi Order into a new age of peace and prosperity. All of the Republic will know me and grateful for my bravery and heroism. I will be immortalized. My name will live forever in the archives of the Jed Order. I will be known as a hero for all eternity.

"And what of me," Xen asked him with a frown. "Where do I fit into this grand destiny of yours?"

He smiled serenely.

"I have one final order for you my Padawan. It will be difficult, but I know that you will be brave, that you will not abandon me."

He nodded his head, his eyes practically aglow with excitement.

"You will need to remain here, to distract the Sith for me. The cause…the cause requires sacrifice, yes, that is what is needed now. If you can draw the Siths' attention away, I can make it to one of the hangars, I can escape. You will be remembered for your bravery, your willingness to die for the cause.

Avaryss said nothing as the Jedi continued to babble, there was no point in saying anything.

The man was digging his own grave.

"You wish me…to stay behind, to cover your escape?"

"It is what is needed yes," Sy Dar Bynn said, "For me, and for the cause."

"We…we could escape together, master," she said, "Between the two of us…we could…"

"It wouldn't work," he babbled, "No…no, no, no, it wouldn't. The Sith are more cunning than we thought. No…a sacrifice is what is required here. The story alone will help me inspire the others, your sacrifice will ensure that the plan goes on, because that Is what matters Xen, the plan…my plan must go on, and I most go on to see it through.

Xen Loor frowned and ignited her lightsaber; the blue blade emerged with an evil hiss.

Her master still did not grasp what was going on. He had not even acknowledged the presence of Avaryss and Quenya in the next room.

"You have a weapon," he said excitedly, "Good, I can use a weapon, it will be best that I don't escape unarmed, it will help sell the story. My brave fight and escape from the clutches of the Sith. You do understand don't you, Xen? You understand why this must be done?"

"Of course, master," Xen replied, her voice becoming a velvety evil purr.

"I understand everything now."

He grinned broadly.

"Good. **Good**. Now girl, we must hurry, we have little time. Give me the weapon, and I will be off. I must make my escape and return to the others. Your sacrifice will not be forgotten."

Xen nodded. She smiled sweetly at the old man.

"You are right master, a sacrifice _**is**_ needed here."

"It is indeed," he said bobbing his head, his left eye twitched nervously.

He held out his hand.

"Give me the weapon," he said.

Xen stood over him, her face bathed in the blue light of the blade.

"Give me the weapon," he repeated.

She did not move.

SY Dar Bynn's eyes narrowed.

"GIVE ME THE DAMN SWORD!" his voice was shrill, filled with fear, panic. The man was teetering on the edge, too long had he walked between the light and the dark, it was tearing him apart. His apprentice could see that now, she might even have recognized it. She had been on the same path until recently, now she understood. It could be dangerous walking that line.

She was seeing the result right now, what happened if you failed.

Sy Dar Bynn held out his hand, his eyes growing cold and angry, his desire to flee overriding any sense of confusion, in a few moments he would fully transition into anger and hate. If Xen did not kill him before then…?

Finally…it happened.

Xen nodded.

"Okay," she whispered.

"Here you are."

Time seemed to slow down; at least that is how it felt for Avaryss. She watched as the girl's arms went up and around. Sy Dar Bynn simply sat there not grasping what was happening. Xen' Loor snarled fiercely as she brought the blade up over her head. It was in that moment that her master, her _former _master, realized his mistake, realized what she had in mind, what she was about to do to him.

The man's eyes widened in horror.

A sound escaped his lips, a terrified squeal that was more animal than man. He tried to rise, tried to dart for the door, it was locked of course, but at that moment it did not matter, this was pure fight or flight, and the Jedi, the thing that had been a Jedi was all flight.

He did not get far.

Xen moved with the quickness of a dark side dragon, her hand shot out, she seized the old man's collar. He squealed again like some kind of farm animal, struggling to get away.

Xen Loor plunged the blade into her master's back, the cobalt-colored blade punched through his back and out his chest. His cries became a rattling gasp; he looked down at the glowing beam emerging from his chest. He coughed and blinked, he seemed shocked at the turn of events.

"My…My…destiny," he gasped, "It…it can't…can't…can't…"

What he meant to say, what couldn't be…he did not say, his _former_ student did not give him a chance to say more.

She whirled again drawing the blade from his back, before he could fall, her weapon lashed out again; there was a flash of light and the smell of burning skin and hair.

Sy Dar Bynn, the architect and leader of the conspiracy against the Sith Empire…lost his head. It came away from his neck and bounced across the floor. The body toppled over with barely a sound, barely a twitch.

Avaryss shuddered.

She felt a shift in the Force, for so long the Empire had been under the threat of this man. He had toyed with the lords, using their rivalries against them. Now…he was gone.

Rivalries would remain in the Empire, but that was just part of how the Empire remained strong. The conflicts would occur as they would normally, with no outside force stirring the pot.

The Empire needed that, it needed to time to catch its breath, and prepare for the next war against the Jedi and the Republic. She could not say when that war would begin, but it would come…

At least now, the Empire would be stronger when that day came. They would not be wasting their strength in pointless feuds that had been escalated by this man's vanity.

Xen Loor stood there, staring down at the body, panting, she swallowed hard and licked her lips; her eyes were wide with emotion, the Force radiated with surprise, shock, and elation.

Avaryss smiled.

She was pleased.

Xen looked up at her, her Sith eyes shiny with tears.

"I…I did it, my lord," she said.

"I can see that," Avaryss said dryly.

'Tell me, apprentice, how do you feel?"

Xen shuddered.

"I…I feel shame, guilt, but…but elation as well, I…I have freed myself from him. My path is my own now."

She took a deep breath, and began to push her emotions back down; Avaryss could feel her trying to do it, to seal what she was feeling back inside a wall of control.

"None of that now," she said, "Your emotions are raw, do not fight them. You must let them flourish, nourish your power. The dark side feeds on strong emotions. They will give you focus, and make you stronger."

Xen nodded, she shuddered, but did not resist.

"I…I shall do as you command, master," she said.

She smiled weakly.

"This…this change…it will take some getting used to."

"It will take time," Avaryss agreed, but at last you are on the right path. You are thinking for yourself and you…

A shiver ran down Avaryss' spine, stopping her mid-sentence.

Quenya had emerged from behind the console, she walked towards the dead Jedi's body, the Force moved through her in a way that Avaryss had not sensed before.

"What is she doing," Xen asked, no doubt she could feel it too.

"I'm not sure," Avaryss said, "Quenya? What _**are**_ you doing?

The Devish frowned.

"I…I am not being sure, master. I…I feel…"

She walked past them, and leaned down she raised her hand over the body, reaching out with her new abilities.

As Avaryss and her new apprentice watched, Quenya Sai Malloc reached out with the Force, Avaryss could sense the girl's power stretching forth and filling the body of the slain Jedi Master.

Avaryss winced as the Force…screamed? It did not seem like the wail of a living thing, more like what you might hear if you ran a sharp blade against an armored plate. A shadow rose from the body it seemed to be whispering in voices she could not fully grasp or understand.

That shadow fled the body, and took something with it, an echo in the Force perhaps, some final remnant of what had been the man known as Sy Dar Bynn.

When it was over, Quenya shivered as the shadow flowed over her, over her, and into her. The body did not seem damaged, but it had been changed by the Devish's touch.

What she had done, Avaryss could not say, but whatever it was, Quenya had been pleased by it, she radiated with a sense of satisfaction. It was almost as if she had fed on that echo.

She smiled at her master.

"That was…interesting," the girl said.

She giggled.

"It is seeming master that our late friend here had one last gift to give."

"What do you mean?" Avaryss asked.

The other girl smirked.

"Fear, surprise, panic…they are being a part of me now; that last final gasp of life, the sweetness of it ending…"

She grinned up at her fellows.

"I am being most eager to experience this again, master. We should be finding the rest of Sy Dar Bynn's conspirators. I am wanting to see what else that I can take in the final moments of these…criminals."

Avaryss nodded thoughtfully.

She was not sure what just happened. She had fed off life energy; it was a skill she had mastered in the last three year. She had used **that** power to repair the damage that Quenya's body had suffered, but now…it seemed that the Devish had taken that further. She had clearly unlocked something that her master had never experienced before.

Feeding off life was one thing, feeding off death…?

That was a skill that was alien to her.

_I still have much to learn_, Avaryss realized, _was what Quenya did something new, or had the ancient Sith possessed such skills, she had not read about it in her research, but then again, life is what had interested her, restoring it, death she thought was simple, and easy to quantify._

It seemed that she had been wrong.

In that moment, she felt daunted.

_How can I hope to teach others if the mysteries of the dark side remain locked to me? If my students possess abilities beyond my own, how will I keep them in line?_

She found herself thinking of her own master, not Feer, but Master Adaz, the blade master who had first put her on the dark path. When she had first become a squad leader on Fury 9, she had sought him out, asked his advice on how to mold the hopefuls under her command. He had offered her…sound advice. The pure blood had never achieved the rank of lord, but she had learned so much from him.

It was to his wisdom that she looked now.

_The appearance of strength can by just as valuable as actual strength, my student_, the old man had told her once, _as you teach, you must be willing to learn as well. Offer what you have learned, and at the same time, take from them, learn to see your weakness through their eyes, and use that knowledge to eliminate those weaknesses. You should never stop learning that is the path to true power, true domination._

_Never believe that you know everything._

Good advice, Avaryss realized, and it did apply here.

She smiled.

_I'll look into this_, she thought; The Citadel back on Dromund Kaas contains most if not all of the records of our Empire and the power that the masters of the past wielded. If there is anything in those records that might explain what Quenya is becoming, I'll find it, and…find a way to turn it to my advantage.

She nodded to herself.

_Thank you, Master Adaz._

In the meantime though.

They had other matters to attend to.

She turned to her new students. Both radiated the dark side now, both were eager to be led further down the dark path.

She did not intend to disappoint them.

"Send word to your old comrades, Xen," she ordered, "Inform them of your dear master's death, and that they need to gather to plan their next move. Tell…them, that before he passed, he left you with orders, what to do in the event of his demise."

The former Padawan gave her a sly smile.

"We should probably return to the surface," she advised, "My master's ship is there, locked down at the spaceport, the plan will likely work better if we arrive in that, it would help sell the story, don't you think?"

"Yes," Avaryss agreed, "It would."

Quenya frowned.

"Our quarry has no doubt sensed the death of Sy Dar Bynn, they will be being wary of a trap. How do we hide our new alignment from them? Wil they not be sensing us when we arrive?"

"Fear not, my friends," Avaryss said, "there are ways to hide in the Force, to mask the darkness within. We Sith have had centuries to learn the arts of concealment, and given the loss of their leader, the remaining conspirators will likely be feeling lost and confused."

"Master Sy was always larger than life," Xen agreed, "The others trusted his judgment, even over their own."

She giggled.

"They will never know what hit them."

Avaryss sent word to Captain Brune to prepare for the next stage of her plan. She and Xen would be making their way back down to the surface, to retrieve Sy Dar Bynn's ship.

Once that was done, and the message was sent to the remaining leaders of Sy Dar Bynn's conspiracy, things would happen fast. They would need soldiers, men trained to deal with Jedi.

As soon as Xen heard back from her former allies, they would be ready.

As soon as the conspirators gathered, they would be ready to…take care of them.

Xen was right, she realized.

The fools would never know what hit them.

IOI

The rogue Jedi conspiracy had been threat to the Empire while it had functioned. Its agents had pushed many dark lords to the brink of tearing apart the very fabric of the Empire itself in trying to avenge the various slights they had brought to light.

Despite the threat it had posed, its ending was…actually quite anti-climactic. The cell leaders died with little resistance, so lost they had been without their charismatic leader.

For Avaryss…it was almost disappointing.

The fall back spot that the conspirators had chosen was an old mining complex on a small moon near the border of Republic space, the facility had been abandoned long ago, long before the Empire had returned, the minerals that had once attracted people to the no name rock, had run out decades earlier. Only the weak atmosphere of the small planetoid had ensured that the buildings had not crumbled away into nothingness.

The place had been forgotten, it had not even been touched by the Empire when it began its campaign to conquer the Republic. It was a perfect location for a safe house.

Unfortunately, Avaryss had now learned of its location.

The safe house was no longer safe.

Xen had informed her of the upgrades that their friends in Republic SIS had provided for this base. They were never meant to defeat an attacker, just to buy the conspirators' time to evacuate, and insure that no one discovered the truth about what they were doing. The complex's reactor had been rigged to go critical if discovery seemed eminent. They would need to be wary.

It would not do to have any of their prey disappear in the flames. If any of these men and women survived, there was a chance that the conspiracy would continue.

Avaryss was determined to not let that happen.

They had made the journey in Sy Dar Bynn's ship. It was a fancy thing, more fitting for a wealthy aristocrat than a Jedi. Avaryss had already claimed it as her own. Holli had gone over it, made sure that no surprises remained. When this mission was done, it would serve as an excellent trophy, it would be a conversation piece for whatever lords paid her a visit.

At that moment, however, the ship was not on a pleasure cruise. It carried a full company of Sith commandos, men and women trained in skills necessary to defeat Jedi. Lieutenant Mithel and his fellow survivors had volunteered for this mission, eager to get some pay back on the Jedi that had killed so many of their friends.

Avaryss had not refused. She understood the value of vengeance, what finally attaining it meant.

She was more than willing to let the soldiers claim it.

Quenya flew the ship while Xen sat in the co-pilot's chair. During their journey she had spent her time constructing a new lightsaber from the parts she had found on board. Xen's weapon had been destroyed back on Nar Shadda, she had needed a new one, and it seemed fitting that her late master provide her with what she needed.

Though she had serviced her own weapon many times, Avaryss watched her new apprentice work with a sense of wonder and curiosity. It was one thing to repair something that was already built, it was quite another to construct a new one from scratch.

When the communicator crackled to life, Xen paused what she was doing and answered the call, a series of tones sounded over the cockpit speakers, tones that Xen answered by entering a series of numbers on the communication panel.

Finally, the Jedi below responded.

"Nest to silver bird, come in silver bird."

"Silver bird to nest," Xen answered, "I'm reading you loud and clear."

"Xen," voice at the other end of the line gasped, "Thank the Force you are alive! We…we felt Master Sy's passing! Are…are you okay?"

Xen glanced up at her new master, Avaryss nodded.

The girl smiled.

""I've suffered a few scrapes and burns, but I am otherwise fine. Master Sy…I…he…it…it was horrible, horrible."

"I'm sorry Xen," the voice at the other end of the line said, "Proceed to landing pad one, we…we had feared the worse when we arrived and you weren't here."

"It took time to get away," Xen said dismissively, "I had to make sure that I was not being followed. The Sith that was after us was quite cunning."

Avaryss smiled.

"Thank you, apprentice," she mouthed.

Quenya rolled her eyes.

"Oh please," she murmured under her breath.

Xen ignored the exchange.

"Is everyone here?" she asked, "We have much to discuss."

"Copy that, Geph and Toal arrived last night; that is everyone. We await your arrival, and will see you on the ground soon, may the Force be with you."

"And you," Xen said ending the transmission.

She looked up Avaryss.

"They are all there," she said, "We can begin."

IOI

What followed was over far too quickly.

Xen brought the ship down, no sooner had they landed that they were met by two men in Republic military uniforms, more Republic commandos.

Avaryss had feared that one of the Jedi might have seen through her deception. When she had first begun her apprenticeship under her master, he had taught her how to conceal her alignment in the Force, just in case it ever became necessary for her to travel undetected on a Republic world. The spell could be taxing, but it served its purpose. Any Jedi that reached out with the Force would have felt only grim determination from the vessel. Her power had all but masked their presence.

Now the Jedi had not even seen fit to send out one of their own to meet them. From the complex Avaryss sensed only fear and confusion, for too long this lot had given themselves over to Sy Dar Bynn's will. Now…they seemed lost without him, any hope that she felt from inside was centered on the idea that Xen had some sort of final order from their master, that she knew what they were to do next.

The realization sickened the young Sith.

This is what Sy Dar Bynn's mission had done to them. They had been so driven to make the Sith answer for what had happened during the war that they no longer had any will of their own. They had thrown away everything in hope that their master could give them revenge and that they could call it justice.

What fools they all were.

Xen led the way, clad in her Padawan robes. Avaryss and Quenya followed behind her, dressed in the brown robes and cream colored tunics of the Jedi, their hoods pulled up to hide their faces. For Avaryss it felt like treason to be so garbed, but for the good of the mission she tolerated it.

She would not have to be so clad for long.

The two soldiers recognized Xen immediately and ushered her forward. They said nothing about her two companions, likely they did not know every Jedi involved in their little conspiracy on sight.

Avaryss said nothing, Xen was the one who was known here, and all of concentration was at that moment directed towards clouding the Jedi's perception. By now the soldiers on board their ship were starting to emerge, they would move quickly, cutting off any avenue of escape.

When everything was blocked off, that is when the fun would begin.

The soldiers showed them into the complex's main floor, Avaryss counted no less than nine Jedi here, and about thirty or so soldiers. She was not overly worried however, she sensed only fear and confusion from this lot, so lost they were without their leader.

"Xen!" a young woman with short blonde hair cried out. She like, Xen was dressed in the robes of a Padawan, in fact most of the Jedi here were, Avaryss saw only three that might be knights, and she sensed no other masters.

"Hello, Greta," Xen said with a hint of a smile, "I'm glad to see you made it."

The other girl did not even acknowledge Avaryss and Quenya; they all seemed preoccupied with their own things.

The blonde haired Padawan frowned; she had tears in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry Xen," she said, "Losing your master, it…it is not easy."

"No," Xen said flatly, "It isn't."

The Padawan did not notice that Xen had her lightsaber in hand; it was all but hidden by the sleeve of her robe.

"I wanted to be the first to tell you that you aren't alone. We are all here for you, and ready to continue Master Sy's work."

Xen did something then that the girl did not expect.

She giggled.

It threw the other girl off balance for a moment, but that was all that was needed.

"Yes Greta," she said, "I think that you should be first."

Xen laughed and embraced the other girl. Avaryss watched her, the young Jedi seemed confused, her expression…curious.

The curiosity ended when Xen ignited her lightsaber, the blade punched through the Padawan's chest. And out her back.

The girl…Greta gasped, her eyes wide with shock, she did not even seem to realize that she had been killed.

Xen gestured with the Force, flinging her body back. All eyes in the room turned in shock and horror!

Xen spun her new lightsaber. Its red blade rippling like fire, two small cross guard blades emerged from the hilt as well, forming a cross of red flame.

Xen Loor laughed loudly as she whirled her blade before her.

"The Empire says hello everyone," she shouted.

One of the walls exploded inward.

Hell was unleashed.

Led by Beric Lylos, Sith commandos poured through the breach firing their weapons, the sudden attack catching their enemies off guard.

Avaryss drew her own blade, dropping the spell, and reaching out with the Force to seal the doors.

No one would escape this room.

No one would escape period!

Avaryss and Quenya lit their own weapons. Avaryss had provided her two apprentices with red crystals for their weapons. If they were truly to serve the dark side, they needed a weapon that reflected that alignment.

Three of the Jedi had been caught completely by surprised; they were gunned down before they even had a chance to raise their weapons.

Quenya and Avaryss stayed back to cover the doors. By now the remaining Jedi realized what was happening, shouts of Sith and defend yourself rang out.

It did nothing to change the outcome of the battle.

Avaryss used lightning to keep the enemy back, while Quenya unleashed her new powers on them. Shadows seemed to rise out of the floor wailing and whispering; the Jedi and Republic soldiers were caught completely off guard. Though she could not see them herself, from the reaction of the enemy, it seemed that Quenya' shadow forms were something out of their worst nightmares.

Xen was in the middle of them, laughing and crying at the same time, her emotions were almost out of control as she butchered her former allies.

She nodded pleased by what she was seeing.

_Darth Hecaetus had been __**right.**__ Corruption __**was **__the way._

More troopers emerged through the breach, HK-Sigma 3 was with them, firing his flamethrower and blasting away with a pistol in his off hand.

The conspirators had not been ready for a fight, they fell quickly one after the other, and then…just like that…it was done.

The enemy was no more.

Avaryss nodded, pleased with the carnage she and her fellows had inflicted.

She regarded the dead; it did not seem that she had lost a single soldier, the advantage of a surprise attack. There appeared to be wounded, but that was not the same thing.

She nodded thoughtfully.

It is done, she thought, my master's work, and the will of the dark council is done.

She found herself thinking of her master's wife, and what she had said, about Avaryss not being capable of doing this.

You were wrong milady, she thought to herself, now you will find out just how wrong.

She imagined the look on Lady Feer's face.

Be ready, she thought.

I'm coming home.


	57. Victory

**Chapter 57: Victory**

So…I…I guess we won?"

Avaryss smiled.

Her brother's gift for understatement was…staggering.

She had just left the sonic shower aboard her fury and had gone to her bed to meditate. She probably could have used quarters on board the destroyer, but she felt far more comfortable on her own ship, in her own space. She was still a tingle from today's success, but thought it wise to muster herself, to gather her energies for the revels to come.

She intended to enjoy tonight to the fullest.

It was not every day that you became a Hero of the Empire.

Her brother stood before her, still clad in his combat suit. They had been back for almost two hours now; she would have assumed that he would have already been celebrating, reveling with the brave men and women who had made their victory possible.

From his dour expression, it seemed that celebration was the last thing on his mind.

She laughed lightly.

"Try to look more **pleased,** brother," she chided, "We have won a marvelous victory today, a victory for the Empire as a whole; this is truly a day of days."

She grinned triumphantly.

"This is no reason to be so glum."

"Hm," he said lightly scratching his chin.

She rolled her eyes.

Why did he have to be such a kill joy?

They **won.**

Did he not understand that?

They…had won!

IOI

The Sith did not bother putting out the fires that HK had set with his flame thrower, in fact, Avaryss sent a pair of flame troopers to make sure that entire complex was consumed. The soldiers moved inside, blasting everything that could burn, ensuring that nothing would remain of the Jedi and their safe house. The bodies of the slain enemy were left where they fell, only their lightsabers had been collected, trophies that Avaryss would bring back as proof of this grand victory.

And what a victory it is, she thought to herself, we have crushed the leadership of the conspiracy with a single stroke. Xen had checked the bodies, making sure that all the leaders had been there, confirming their deaths. The Padawans in attendance had been students of the masters that had fallen on Nar Shadda, and had been well trained to carry on if anything had happened to their teachers.

The deaths of both teacher and student assured that that would not come to pass. Any surviving agents who had not been here would find their transmissions unanswered, their requests for supplies ignored. They had cut off the head of the snake, without it the body of the conspiracy would wither and die. Those agents who did not flee back into Republic space would be hunted down and destroyed without their leaders support.

For all intended purposes, the conspiracy as a whole was done.

Such news was music to Avaryss' ears, and would no doubt please the council.

She had done as they had asked.

Now…all she had to do was contact them, and collect her reward.

She stood outside facility with the others, watching the fires burn. The planet's weak atmosphere limited the blaze, but that could not be helped.

_I would have preferred that the fires rise high_, she thought to herself, _I would have preferred a beacon that could have been seen on both Dromund Kaas and Coruscant as well._

_I want everyone to know what we did here. I want them to know that Sy Dar Bynn's failure is now complete._

She looked over at her companions and underlings. The soldiers maintained their military discipline, as they should have. Rink had brought down the interceptor with additional reinforcements, just in case they had been needed. Say what you wanted about the former street rat, but he was loyal to her, and did his duty without complaint.

She would see him rewarded as such, just as soon as she collected what was owed her.

These people had made it all possible. She was not above being generous in victory.

Of all of her companions only Xen had a truly strong emotional reaction to what had happened. The former Jedi giggled and cried at the same time. Through the Force Avaryss could feel her emotions blazing like wild fire. The girl had contained them for too long, locked them away, now that they had finally gotten out, they were almost out of control.

_I will need to work with her_, Avaryss realized, _guide her down the path. Such raging emotions could lead to madness if not guided by a firm hand, but for now, she let the girl rage, let her enjoy her new freedom._

It would only make their connection that much stronger.

"Look at it," she laughed, "Look at how it ends."

She tore of her brown robe and tossed it in the air, using the Force to propel it into the inferno.

As the others watched she tore off her Jedi tunic and throwing that in as well. The soldiers said nothing as the girl tore off her Jedi garments feeding them into the fire.

"Tonight…I throw off a lifetime of hypocrisy," she shouted, "No more will I hide what I want. No longer will I run from what I feel. I want to feel everything! I want to be everything!"

She turned to Avaryss a wide manic grin plastered across her features.

"It is all because of you, my master," she said with tears in her eyes, tears of gratitude.

"You have set me free! I feel scoured clean, like I've reborn into a loud and beautiful world!"

None of the soldiers said anything, despite the girl's state of undress. None would say that Xen Loor was not attractive; the life of a Jedi had left her body both well-toned and sleek. A normal soldier would have likely responded to the situation with bawdy comments or perhaps wolf whistles, but not these men. They had learned long ago to stay silent in face of the actions of the Sith and their apprentices…

…Even when one did something so…provocative.

The only comment Avaryss picked up came from Holli, she had been standing next to Rink and whispering so Xen could not hear her, the only reason why Avaryss heard was because she was actively trying.

"Put your tongue back in your mouth Rink before you trip over it."

The boy chuckled.

"Just…just art appreciation Holli," he said, "The girl certainly does have…talent."

"Yeah," Holli said, "She also has Force powers that could kill or cripple you in a blink, so show some damn respect."

Avaryss nodded.

Rink did need to be careful; Xen was still quite raw to the dark side, raw and unpredictable.

Who knew how she would react if provoked.

The only one that responded to Xen's little show was Beric. He said nothing, simply took off the poncho he had been wearing during the operation.

He wrapped it around Xen's shoulders. She looked surprised at first, but smiled as Avaryss' brother bowed his head respectfully.

"My lady," he said softly.

Xen smirked at him.

"Thank you kind sir," she purred, "You certainly are a gentleman."

Avaryss could not tell for certain, but in the dull light, for a moment, she thought she saw her brother blush.

I will need to tease him about that later she thought, but for now, she had one final matter to attend to, one final act before they could get off this rock and return to their destroyer in victory.

She stepped away from her men and turned to face them, a triumphant smile on her face.

"We have won a great victory this day," she called out to her assembled men. "This was no mere raid on a smuggler's den, or a strike to take out a nest of thieves and smugglers."

She held out her arms, gesturing to the destruction behind her, the result of their victory.

"What we stopped to today was a group dedicated to the downfall of our great Empire. These people were the worst type of terrorist, one that lives only to spread chaos, disorder, and anarchy. They tried to set us against each other, lord against lord, and loyal son against loyal son, loyal daughter against loyal daughter, but because of your bravery, your commitment to all that is right and just in our Empire. These monsters have been stopped. They will sow no more dissent; they will bring no more chaos upon our home. Your wives and husbands may slip securely tonight; your children may rest easy, knowing that on the morrow they will wake in a safe and secure home…"

She raised her hands above her head; she ignited her blade and held it to the sky.

"Today you are not just soldiers, you are all heroes! You are saviors of the Empire, and because of your courage and sacrifice we shall endure, we shall grow, and expand. Together we shall build an Empire that will last for another thousand years. WE SHALL BUILD AN EMPIRE OF SECURITY AND ORDER! WE SHALL SAVE THE GALAXY!"

"FOR THE EMPIRE!" a young soldier shouted raising his arm.

"FOR THE EMPEROR AND THE COUNCIL!" another cried out.

"FOR THE SITH!" Beric called.

"FOR MY MASTER," Quenya declared, "FOR AVARYSS!"

The chant of "For Avaryss," rose up over the dusty plain. Avaryss stood proudly before her men, drinking up their praise and adulation.

This how it should be," she thought, this is what the future holds...

She almost cried; that was how pleased she was at that moment.

We are all heroes, and I stand above them all, this is my triumph, mine!

Let all behold my grand work, and beware.

Let my enemies see…

…and let them all beware.

IOI

The return to the ship had been a joyous one, word had been sent ahead to inform the Vaiken's fist of their return.

The captain would send word to Lord Marr and the rest of the council, informing them of their victory. As the soldiers began their own revels, again Captain Brune had invited Avaryss to dine with him. When Beric had come to visit her, she had been meditating readying herself for a most…physical evening.

She had wanted her full stamina restored; the dear captain would expect nothing less from a Lord of the Sith Empire.

She sensed Beric's disapproval of that, he clearly did not like the thought of his little sister…reveling. Had she been born a boy, and Captain Brune a beautiful female, Beric might have cheered her on, but that was not how things were.

She was his little sister, and he still thought he needed to protect her.

It was sweet if nothing else.

"So what happens now," Beric asked, "Where do we go from here?"

"Word has been sent to the dark council," she informed him, "Soon I will be called before them, and they will grant me what they promised."

She smiled slyly.

"You are in the presence of lord of the Sith, brother, or one that soon will be, try to be happy for me, okay?"

Again Beric nodded, he continued to pace in front of her.

"That is how it should go, I suppose," he murmured before turning to face her.

"Congratulations on that, by the way."

Avaryss nodded pleased that he offered her such words, but at the same time, one single word of what he said stuck in her head, it twisted like a dagger in her confidence, giving rise to butterflies in her stomach.

"Should," she said with a frown.

"What do you mean should?"

He gave her a grim look.

"I know what you were promised, sister," he said, "And I don't wish to anger or worry you…"

"Yet, you clearly have something to say," she said flatly.

"Speak plainly, Ric," she said, "What is on your mind."

Her brother frowned.

"There is one man who might decide not to let this happen, and he has enough clout to make sure that things do not go as you hope they will."

It did not take Force sensitivity to know exactly who her brother was talking about.

Avaryss' eyes narrowed.

"Lord Feer," she said coldly.

"You are his apprentice right," Beric said, "You're his sword? What if he decides that the full credit for all that you have done should go to him? What if he convinces the council that, since it was him that put you on this path, that it is him that should reap all the benefits?"

Avaryss wanted to laugh, she wanted to say that her brother was wrong, that what he was saying could never come to pass, but then she found herself thinking about what she had seen and done since entering Lord Feer's service. What she had done since she first attacked that safe house on Tatooine on what felt like now was years ago.

Her frown deepened.

It…it was possible, she realized.

He could do it.

"He would not do that to me," she said with a fatalistic laugh, "I…I have done everything on this mission since he gave it to me, I…defeated our enemies, me, not him, me. He would not do it."

But the more she thought about it the more she found herself thinking that Beric could be right.

Her temper began to flare, her joyful playful mood gave way to rage and hate.

Feer, she thought.

He could steal everything, and if he decides to do so, he will sit back and laugh at me.

She could imagine her master's face, he would claim her rewards for himself, give her a pat on the head, and tell her what a good student she was.

"Well done, my child," he would say, that would be her reward, all that, and nothing more.

Lady Synestra would be so pleased.

Bael would laugh.

She leapt out of bed and turned away, not wanting to look at Beric, not wanting to admit that he was possibly right, that everything she had done might just have been for nothing.

It could have all been for nothing.

"He can't do this to me," she murmured under her breath, growing angrier by the moment, her body began to glow; an eerie red halo enveloped her.

"This is _**my**_ triumph," she hissed under her breath, "THIS IS MY VICTORY, NOT _**HIS,**_ _**MINE!"**_

She turned to face her brother, her eyes flashing with barely contained rage.

"This is mine," she hissed, "I will not share it with Feer!"

Beric raised his hands; he could no doubt see the fury he had unlocked within her.

"I just want you to be prepared," he said, "Maybe I'm wrong, maybe you will get everything you wanted, but…if you don't…"

Avaryss sneered.

"If I don't, then I will deal with the matter, the same way that I've dealt with others since I chose to go off on my own."

She laughed wickedly.

"Perhaps the time has come for me to have a long chat with Lady Synestra. No doubt she has informed my master of what I have done, no doubt her contacts in the capital will tell her about this victory, and she will know what it will mean."

"So…what do we do?" he asked.

"What I've always done, Ric," she said grinning, "Do what is best for the Empire, and remove whatever threat that stands in my way."

Avaryss nodded grimly, she had come to a decision. Any desire she had had to spend an evening with the handsome Captain Brune was gone.

I've been away from House Feer for far too long, she realized.

The time has come to return and tie up some…loose ends.

"Contact the others Beric," she ordered, "Tell them to return to the ship at once, it is time we got underway, we need to go home."

"You don't think we should wait?" he asked, "Let the others enjoy the celebration.

She gave him a cold smile.

"I won't be able to celebrate until this matter is tended to, and then we shall all revel like never before."

She walked him to the door.

"Gather the others quickly, history is on the march, and I will not be left behind."

"As you say, my lord," he said bowing his head.

Avaryss smiled at him as he left, she managed to hold it until he was gone, but after that…

She threw back her head and shrieked.

The Force scream she unleased shoved the few furnishing that her quarter had against the wall, those that were not bolted down. The mirror in her fresher cracked becoming a disjointed sea of spider webs.

Lord Feer might very well still be away on assignment from the council, but that did not mean that she could not secure their house for her own ends. Bael would be there, he and his shutta of a mother.

Avaryss had planned to wait, to do something more subtle, to use what she had learned about Lord Feer's daughter against them when the time was right.

She found that she no longer wished to wait.

She had grown strong in the past few months. She was stronger than she had ever been.

Strong enough to take on her master, she wondered.

Was it time?

She could not say for certain, but what was certain is that Beric's warning had rang something inside of her, the Force now whispered in her ear, a song of danger and betrayal.

She would not wait for that song to build anymore; she would not sit back and enjoy herself while her enemies plotted in the shadows.

No, she had to return home, and quickly.

Something was waiting for her on Dromund Kaas.

She would be damned before she ran from it.

She would face this threat, with a lightsaber in hand.

She would face it…now.

IOI

The Fury exited hyperspace only a few hours after Avaryss and her crew had reassembled. Dromund Kaas appeared before them a dark green world crisscrossed by storms and defended by the great ships of the Imperial navy.

Avaryss stood behind Rink, her hands at her back, her emotions buried beneath her iron will.

No, not buried, she realized, contained, for now.

When they reached the surface, it would be unleased.

Synestra Feer would pay for trying to put out a hit on her. She would pay for her snide comments, and her son's perverted glances and games.

She would pay…for everything!

Xen stood at her side, no longer dressed in the plain and dour robes of the Jedi, but something more…adventurous. The kilted skirt she wore was cut just right to give her legs freedom of movement. Her dark grey top left her midriff exposed, and was slit deeply down the front. Her features were mostly hidden by the top's hood, but that just made her golden eyes seem to glow even brighter.

She regarded the Sith world with a sniff.

Clearly she was not impressed.

"It is no Coruscant," she murmured, "Yet, I can definitely sense the appeal of living here."

"You familiar with Coruscant, Xeni," Rink asked over his shoulder.

The girl pursed her lips, but did not respond to Rink's use of the name "Xeni."

"I was born on Coruscant," she said flatly, "My parents worked in the temple. Both had had family that had become Jedi in the past but neither had enough Force sensitivity of their own to ever join the order itself."

Xen pursed her lips with disgust.

"When I was five they discovered that I had what they never did; that I was Force sensitive and powerful too. They gave me up without a second thought. They felt my joining the order was a blessing from the Force, proof that they had done right by it."

Avaryss blinked, surprised by the anger she heard in the girl's voice.

"Did you ever see them again?" she asked.

"No the council did not want to risk them seeing me every day, and change their minds. They were given a posting at some Jedi Enclave, far from the temple, far from me."

Xen hands curled into angry fists.

"They never even thought to ask what I wanted; they just threw me away so that I could make them proud."

She sneered.

"I wonder what they would say if they could see me now, provided I let them survive the experience."

Avaryss chuckled.

She had never hated her parents, not in that way. If they had held her back at all, it was out of love. Yet, during her training she had destroyed shades of them, both them and her sisters. She had not told Beric that part yet, she doubted that he would understand.

"Send word to the Feer Estate, Mister Rink," she ordered, "Let them know I've returned.

Rink tapped on the communicator, waiting for the security forces at the Feer compound to respond, and give them authorization to enter.

They received no response, only static.

Avaryss frowned.

What is this now, she wondered.

What now?

She stretched out with the Force she felt…she sensed…she…she was not quite sure. It was a threat yes, but she couldn't…

She shook her head.

They needed to get on the ground, now.

"Take us in carefully, Mister Rink," she said, "But keep us out of range of the estate's defense guns. I do not wish to be blown out of the sky."

"Sure thing," Rink said nodded, he sounded more subdued that usual, perhaps his unique connection to the Force had picked up on what she was feeling, and what she was feeling, was not good.

It was confusing.

They broke through the cloud cover, emerging over the vast jungle that covered much of the surface of Dromund Kaas. It did not take them long to pick out the Feer estate out of the jungle…

Night had fallen, but the area around the estate was as bright as day.

The estate was a raging inferno!

House Feer was under attack!

Warning lights flashed in the cockpit of the Fury, a target lock warning blared in their ears.

Rink banked the ship hard, pulling away from the estate.

Two concussion missiles streaked passed and exploded.

The Fury spun away as the shockwave overcame them.

Avaryss gripped the pilot seat for dear life, as Rink's hands danced over the controls. Laser fire flashed around them as her pilot took evasive action. A pair of Sith Fighters screamed past them, Rink's maneuver causing them to overshoot their mark

He slammed down on the weapon's stud on the console. The forward guns spat green fire.

One of the fighters exploded while the other wheeled away, damaged, its wing struck the tree line and the ship cartwheeled over.

It exploded violently over the trees!

Avaryss shook her head, unsure of what was going on, the dark side of the Force roiled, disrupting her powers and abilities. She shook her head, trying to clear the strange buzzing that had taken root as soon as they had come through the atmosphere.

House Feer was under attack, she thought, but by whom? Why?!

She took a shuddering breath, trying to clear her head.

She needed to find out.

"Bring us around Rink," she ordered, "Take us back to the estate!"

"That is not a good idea boss," he said, checking the scanner, "I'm reading at least two full squadrons of ships attacking the estate right now."

He gave her a nervous look.

"Things are not looking good down there right now."

"Never the less, we must return," She said, "If you can't set us down, fine, see if you can find some structure to drop me off on."

Avaryss's eyes narrowed.

"I have business to conduct down there."

Rink obeyed, though she could sense through the Force that he thought she was crazy, perhaps she was.

She was the heir to House Feer.

She would be damned before she let anyone else but her blow it apart!

As they drew closer she saw what was happening. It still did not make sense.

Sith ships continued to swarm the estates defenses, a group of Extinction class bombers with Sith supremacy class Starfighters in support. The bombers had laid waste the estate's defenses leaving only the main building mostly intact. The bombers were now moving off, their work completed, the fighters, no doubt detecting the incoming Fury were starting to break off their attack runs and moving to intercept.

According to Rink's scanners there was a single ship on the estate's landing pad some kind of long range transport, from the guns it was sporting he thought it might be some pirate ship or bounty hunter craft.

Avaryss frowned.

Bounty hunters and pirates rarely had Sith military support, especially when attacking a target on Dromund Kaas.

Rink checked the scanners again. I think I got a place to set you down, boss," he informed her, "It will be a little hairy though, we got a lot of lifeforms down there, looks like a battle."

Avaryss nodded.

"Just get me down there," she said, "I'll handle the rest."

"_**We**_ will handle the rest," Xen said, drawing her lightsaber from her belt.

"We shall fight as one, master."

Avaryss nodded, she would have preferred Quenya be at her side, Xen was still too new to her service, but at the same time, she needed one of her apprentices to stay behind and command the ship.

Quenya was more than capable of doing that.

"See if you can draw off more of those fighters," she ordered, "And send word to military command. Someone sent those ships, I want to know who."

Rink nodded, but did not have time to answer; the fighters were upon them again.

It took all his skill to keep them flying.

Avaryss and Xen made their way down to the ramp. Avaryss caught sight of Beric watching her as she passed by. He was arming himself, getting ready to go into battle at her side.

"Stay here," she ordered, "Quenya may need your help."

"What about you," he asked.

She grinned.

"I'm going hunting," she said brightly.

"Do not wait up."

"Stay safe kind sir," Xen said to him warmly.

She smiled.

"I would hate to see you come to a bad end."

Beric nodded grimly, but he might have smiled slightly at the girl's comment.

Avaryss rolled her eyes.

She did not have time for this.

She felt the Fury slow and rotate around, the warning light beside the ramp went from red to green.

The door slid open and Avaryss and her apprentice leapt out...

They leapt down into a world on fire, the shriek of blasters and explosives going off around them.

The two Sith ignited their lightsabers.

They fell upon the first wave of attackers.

Avaryss blade flashed as she fell into the rhythm of Shien, reflecting the blaster bolts back at the attackers. They were clad in Sith uniforms but that was the only thing Imperial about them. They wore no helmets, not that they needed them

The faces that stared back at her were out of some horror holo!

Their flesh was pulled tight against their faces, wires and circuit boards adorned their cheeks and foreheads. The eyes that looked upon her appeared both dead and milky. They shouted at her but no words came out, only strange gargling cries of anger and pain.

Xen closed the distance between them and engaged the attackers. She plunged the cross guard blade of her weapon into one of the enemy's chest to drive him back only to behead him seconds later with her lightsaber.

Sparks flew from the severed neck but the body remained upright, still firing its blaster. In fact none of the enemy had fallen yet; her deflected blasts burned their bodies but did not stop their advance, only slowed them down.

Avaryss snarled and sent a blast of Force lightning into the…whatever it was that was attacking. It threw them back but that was it.

Xen leapt on one them, cutting it to pieces with her weapon.

"STAY DOWN!" she shouted.

"STAY DOWN!"

It was at that moment that answering fire came from one of the estate's barracks; a few soldiers must have survived and now had come to Avaryss' aid.

She was about to call out to them, to rally them to her, when she was thrown back by a tremendous explosion.

The barracks vanished in ball of orange flame.

Avaryss lay on the ground her head ringing from the blast. Her sound bafflers over loaded by the roar of the explosion, her eyes burned; the bright light doing nothing to help them, her over sensitivity to light making her vulnerable.

As she blinked away the tears, she saw a shadow coming towards her, the man was tall and broad shouldered, his gate hinted no concern at all, despite the destruction all around them, the one approaching her seemed completely calm, and in control of the chaos that swirled around him.

Avaryss somehow managed to regain her feet, she ignited her lightsaber and turned to meet this new threat, her head continued to pound, that strange buzzing building to a crescendo, it was all she could do to stay focused and ready herself for war.

She was not sure what had happened to Xen, had she been killed in the explosion, she did not know. The Force was wailing at her, filling her with both confusion and dread.

She dropped into a Soresu guard, ready to meet this new enemy. It was at that moment that the implants in her ears finally adapted to the loud noise around them they picked up the sound of the attacker's voice.

He was laughing.

"My master told me I would find you here," he said, "I did not want to believe him."

The voice was strange, it sounded as it was coming through a droid's vocoder, but at the same time…it was…familiar."

A shiver ran down her spine.

No, she thought.

No…this can't be!

NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!

It is not time yet!

The large Sith stopped before her, he raised his lightsaber and saluted her, a mocking gesture if there ever was one.

From beneath the shadow of his hooded cloak, he grinned at her, she could just make out the white pearly looking teeth.

She almost wailed; what she was sensing through the Force…it was all she could do to keep from throwing herself on the ground and begging for mercy.

_This was not how it was supposed to be._

_NO! _

The large Sith looked down running the fingers of his free hand down the cloak he wore, a cloak that until recently had been stored for safety here in the estate. Avaryss had brought it with her from Korriban, a memento of something she had lost long ago, of someone she had lost.

Now…she had no words.

She did not know what to say.

"I hope you don't mind me making myself at home," the attacker said, "Considering what these people took from me, I'm sure you can understand."

The man chuckled.

"But you are just like them, aren't you, just another thief."

He shook his head, and smiled.

"But in spite of it all, I'm willing to let the past go. It is so good to see you again after so long…I…I missed you."

Avaryss swallowed hard, she felt like someone was walking over her grave, maybe they were.

"You…you can't be here," she said, "I have not summoned you back yet."

The attacker laughed.

"You are not the only one who understands the ancient secrets, my love," he said removing his hood.

His face was paler than she remembered more gaunt and ragged. The tendrils on his chin hung limp and dead. His head was mostly bald, only a small wispy braid hung down the back; it dangled like a hangman's rope from the back of his scalp.

His eyes were worse, they looked organic, but they had a strange brightness to them, something more mechanical than anything else. On the center of his throat someone had installed a droid's vocoder; it was through this that he had addressed her.

Her knees nearly gave out, seeing him like this.

It was a special kind of hell.

He gestured to her with his lightsaber asking her to approach.

"Come to me, my darling wife," the resurrected Fehl said jovially. He held up his blade, bathing his dead flesh in ruby light.

Come and embrace me," he said almost laughing.

"I long for a kiss."


	58. The Returned

**Chapter 58: The Returned**

Fehl.

Once that name had inspired both fear and envy in the hearts of every acolyte on Korriban, the pure-blood scion of a once great house, one steeped in tradition and a history of great strength within the Force. Fehl had been the last of them, the last of his bloodline.

His death had been a great loss to the Empire.

When Avaryss had first seen him she had only just arrived on Korriban, and had been…in awe of him. Both the power that he wielded and the pure…maleness of him had taken her breath away. As she had watched him, studied him, searching for a way to take him down, she had discovered much of his history and what had brought him to such a lofty height, and when she reached that point, she came to realize that she no longer desired to replace him as the academy's top student. A new desire had taken root, one that she had not understood at first.

She had not wanted to _replace_ Fehl; she wanted to **be** Fehl's.

In time, she gave into that desire.

For weeks he had toyed with her, appearing just out of reach teasing her and feeding her desire and growing lust. The first time they met he offered to kill another acolyte for her, it had been one of the _darkest_ and most _romantic_ things a man had ever done for her. Yet for a time, he played coy, staying just out of her reach. He never said that he wanted her, not in those early days, but at the same time she had felt it, the connection growing between them, the want that slowly bound them together. A want that consumed the two of them, when after a battle in the Tomb of Ajunta Pal, both she and Fehl finally gave into lust and consummated their attraction. For Avaryss it had been her first time, Fehl had known exactly what to do, he had not shamed her, and he had been kind…even tender, guiding her down the path of physical love.

It had been…amazing!

It should have come as a surprise to no one when she surrendered to his dark charms, what female could have resisted, who one would have _**wanted **_to? She had surrendered to him willingly, and went to his bed without fear or doubt, and for a time they had been happy. The masters of the academy had ranted, but what did she care, she had Fehl, the two of them had had each other, both had thought that would be enough. Fehl had even asked her to become his wife, to leave her student life behind and embrace a new destiny as the Lady of House Fehl.

She had said yes, they should have been together after that, her life, and his, should have been a long, fruitful, and happy one…

…that had _**not **_happened.

Enemies had intervened.

Both Darth Feer and an Acolyte named Nass had destroyed what they might have had. Nass poisoned Fehl…killing him and Avaryss had taken the blame. The Sith Overseers had captured her, tortured he to the brink of death, and she had been left broken, unable to summon the Force, and left to suffer at the hands of jealous rivals. Rivals who only further added to her pain and humiliation.

It had been too much to bear; it was amazing that she had not sought to destroy herself.

It should have been the end of her tale; it almost was the end…

…but she had fought back, the memory of Fehl, and the desire to both avenge him and bring him back had inspired her to fight on; she reclaimed her power and position. Fehl's death had given her the strength she had needed to come back, embrace the true power of the dark side, destroy Nass, and take her place as Darth Feer's apprentice.

Yet, despite everything she had faced and endure, her commitment to what she had had on Korriban remained. She had continued to study the ancient mysteries. She had sought out the secrets of Sith Alchemy and sorcery with the single goal of resurrecting her fallen love. Fehl had been taken from her; she was willing to go to almost any length to bring him back. It had been a driving force in her life, almost as important to her as the destruction of her master and her ascension to the rank of lord.

Often Avaryss had dreamed of Fehl's return. She has always wanted to look into his eyes as he opened them again in a new body, a new _**perfect **_body, handsome and strong. She wanted to look on his new face as he saw her for the first time with new eyes, in the form she had chosen for him. She had wanted to sense him in the Force again, and see the smile she had known so well back on Korriban.

It was supposed to be perfect, she thought, **we** were supposed to be _**perfect.**_

It had been her dream, for the two of them to conquer House Feer together, to take their place as Lords of the Sith, as both equals and lovers to forge a new line of power and prestige.

Now, as she stood amongst the blaze that had been House Feer, stared into her former lover's reborn eyes, she knew one thing beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Her dream…had become a nightmare.

She and Fehl faced each other as the world around them burned. Both held crimson lightsabers and neither was willing to give an inch.

Avaryss held her ground; she remained in a Soresu guard, waiting for him to make the first move.

She was speechless, what could she have said, what words would have made this any better?

Fehl had ordered her to come to him, to embrace and kiss him as she had done during their time together.

She said nothing, **did** nothing; she was too shocked to respond.

Her lover shook his head; a sound that might have been a sigh escaped his lips.

"This is not how I wanted this to be, my love," he said through the vocoder in his throat, his mouth barely moving...

"This is not how I wanted us to begin again."

Avaryss' eyes narrowed.

_In this at least, they were of one mind._

_This was __**not **__how it was supposed to have been._

Hearing his words were enough for her to find her voice again, to remember herself and why she was here.

"Fehl…I…"

Words almost failed her, but in that moment of weakness, the dark side rose up again inside her, restoring her strength and casting away both fear and doubt.

"I was going to bring you back," she said, "I've…I've been preparing for a long time to bring you back."

Her eyes drifted over him, using the Force to enhance her senses she got her first good look at him, she saw what coming back had cost him.

What she saw…it did not please her.

It would have been better to find a new body, strong and healthy. She had encountered several young men in her travels who would have been perfect hosts for her Fehl's spirit. She had also considered growing a new form from his cells. She had studied several rituals along those lines. In his Yavin Four writings, the legendary Naga Sadow had spoken in detail of how such a thing might be accomplished.

It was a difficult spell, difficult but not impossible, still she had decided to ere on the side of safety, simply finding a new body would work far better than hope for her recreation to develop without flaw.

Still it could have been done, either was a distinct possibility. It could have been done, but she lacked any blood or tissue samples. She had had no raw materials in which to begin. Korriban might have had some on file, but she had not had the authority to request such a thing, and even if she had, as far as the academy was concerned, Fehl had died a failure; it was unlikely they would have saved any of his genetic material.

Yet…here he stood, his original body had been restored, but not without cost. Synox was a nasty poison; it did horrible things to the body before death finally came; whoever had brought Fehl back had not cared about that, only in getting him mobile again.

The results of that were plain to see.

Though still broad shouldered, Fehl's body was much more slender than she remembered. What she had first taken as armor plates beneath his robes turned out to be cybernetic devices of some type, likely to help compensate for damage the poison had done to his muscles. His hands were gone, replaced with cybernetic enhancements, and his left leg looked like it was completely mechanical as well.

The vocoder on his throat made sense, she supposed, one of the final effects of synox was the swelling of the tongue, she suspected that whoever had brought him back had removed it, that would explain why Fehl's mouth did not seem to move when he talked.

She shook her head.

Fehl had been so much more than this. He had had the mind of a dark side mastermind and a body that would have been the envy of a god. Seeing him as he was now, it was…it was almost too much for her to bear.

My love, she almost sobbed.

What have they done to you?

She wanted to say those words but held them back. She would show no weakness here, not before Fehl.

She would not shame herself in that way.

"I was going to bring you back," she repeated, "I was going to find you a new body, strong and fierce. You…you would have been beautiful."

Fehl smiled again.

"Beauty is fleeting, my dear," he said, "**Power** is eternal, and my power endures."

He laughed, it was an ugly clicking sound that seemed to come from his throat.

"As the fools that once held this house have now learned," he said, "My master will be most pleased."

Avaryss looked around her. In the light of the many fires she could see the bodies, soldiers and servants both. She…she had _**known**_ these people; they had served her, stood beside her and her master when they were needed.

She shook her head.

Not all of these men and women had loved Darth Feer; some would have stood beside her when she finally staged her coup. Some of them would have died that day, but not all.

This was not victory, she thought, this was wastefulness.

"I could have _**used**_ these people, Fehl," she said with an angry snort.

She glared up at him.

Did he not understand what he had just done?

"Tell me," she said, "Why did you come here and burn my home? Why did you need to kill members of my house?"

Fehl sneered at her.

"House Feer does not deserve to continue," he said angrily. "They are a rotting limb on the body of the Empire and deserve only to be cut away.

Again he made that laughing sound.

"Everyone here deserves to die."

"Do they," Avaryss said with a frown, "Even those that would have followed me, even those that would have joined me in building _**our **_new house? Did they deserve to die as well?"

Fehl snorted clearly he did not see why she would ask such a question.

Did he not realize who she was now? Did he not realize that she was Darth Feer's apprentice?

She had not simply returned her because she had missed this place. She had come here to take the first steps towards her independence.

His actions here had thrown everything off course.

_I should be grateful that he is here_, she thought, Fehl _**is**_ back. _I should be happy that he has returned, but for some reason I'm not…_

_I…I feel cheated._

"House Feer does not deserve to continue," he repeated. "They are a rotting limb on the body of the Empire and deserve only to be cut away."

"So you said before," she said, "You do realize of course that _**I'm**_ a member of House Feer? You do realize that I'm Darth Feer's apprentice?"

"I realize that," he said, "My master told me."

So why go to all the trouble to **destroy **this estate?" she demanded, "You knew I was a member of this House. If you wanted Darth Feer gone, why did you not contact me? I could have _**aided**_ you. We could have done this together and both profited from it."

"My master wanted this place destroyed."

"So," Avaryss said, "He could have _contacted_ me. "We could have reached some kind of arrangement; there was no reason to do this, any of it. Why destroy something when you can make it your own? You could have used this to form an alliance with me. You understood such things once. Why is it so hard to understand now?

Fehl frowned, those strange new eyes of his radiated with…confusion, Avaryss could sense it through the Force, he was thinking about what she had said, but…

Fehl growled angrily. He glared into her eyes.

"House Feer does not deserve to continue," he said again. "They are a rotting limb on the body of the Empire and deserve only to be cut away."

Avaryss frowned.

What was this now, she wondered.

Fehl had always been an intelligent and eloquent, young man. Yet, she had just heard him repeat the exact same words with the exact same emotional inflection _**three**_ times.

People did not do that, not normally. Droids would if asked the same question, but…

A realization washed over her. It was a realization that further fueled her anger. She found herself thinking about something she had heard long ago.

_My new apprentice's programming is far superior, and much stronger._

_Perhaps the two of you will meet one day._

Avaryss remembered _**those **_words, and more to the point, who had spoken them to her.

Her frown deepened.

I should have known.

"What does your master want with me? Why am I not sharing the fate of these others?"

Fehl smiled again.

"My master believes you have potential," he informed her, "He has sensed your growing power, but it is all potential, unrefined. He sent me here to extend his offer. He wants you with us, after you have been properly augmented, you will serve well in the new Empire."

Avaryss' frown deepened.

Properly augmented, she thought.

She did not like the sound of that at all.

"My powers are growing just fine, the way they are," she said, "I have no use for augmentation."

She gave him a smile.

"Thanks, but no thanks."

Fehl frowned.

"You're desires in this are irrelevant. You will be augmented, improved. The New Empire will require much of you in the coming days; you must become the best that you can be."

"I must decline your offer," she repeated, "Tell me, my love, who is your master, and what gives him the right to decide the next path for the Empire? How is the Empire to be made new?"

"My master intends to seize more than simply territory. The Emperor thought that was the way to vengeance, and that plan was a failure. The Sith must change, and evolve, it is not enough to simply use the Force anymore, we must conquer the Force itself, bind it to our will as _**our**_ slave."

Fehl laughed.

"My master has that knowledge, he will break the will of the Force, and his will shall be all. He…shall reign supreme!"

"And what of us…what about what I wanted," she asked, "What of my plans for lordship, of my taking of House Feer?"

"House Feer does not deserve to continue," he said again. "They are…"

"…They are a rotting limb on the body of the Empire and deserve only to be cut away." She said with disgust in her voice.

Avaryss snarled.

"Your master did not bring you back, Fehl; he turned you into his toy. He programmed you like he would a kriffing droid!"

She shook her head.

"Why does your master want me," she demanded, "Tell me in your own words!"

Fehl frowned, his mouth worked silently, a strange buzzing came from his vocoder.

"My master believes you have potential," he said, "He has sensed your growing power, but it is all potential, unrefined. He sent me here to extend his offer. He wants you with us, after you have been properly augmented, you will serve well in the new Empire."

"Another repeated statement," she growled, "You said it exactly the same as you did the first time."

She hissed angrily.

"Why did House Feer have to die?

"House Feer does not deserve to continue," he said again. "They are a rotting limb on the body of the Empire and deserve only to be cut away."

"And _**again**_," she spat, "Do you not even realize what is happening, can you not feel it? You are not being _trained_ by your master. You have been **programmed**. You are no better than a battle droid!"

Fehl's eyes narrowed.

"Be careful, Avaryss," he warned, "My master believes you have potential. He has sensed your growing power, but it is all potential, unrefined…"

"And I will be augmented for the good the new Empire, yes, yes, yes," she said dryly, "I heard it the first time."

Avaryss' temper was flaring now, this was _**not**_ her Fehl; it was not even close. Whoever had restored him to life made sure that it would not be the man she loved?

He is not an apprentice, she thought, he is a tool, and given his new found enhancements and his deep programmed hatred for House Feer, she knew who was responsible for all this.

She gave him a cruel smile.

"Tell me, my love," she said coldly, "Was your master angry when I did not kill the beast girl on the Wreck? Was he angry that he lost his shipment of children?"

"Your actions on the Wreck will be forgiven if you accept augmentation. You will be purified; it is your non-mechanical components that make you weak."

And there is my answer, she thought.

She knew it.

"Weak?" she growled, "You think me weak? You are weak, Fehl! You're not even worthy of being called Sith anymore."

She felt the dark side gathering inside her; she readied herself to unleash its full might on this mockery of her former love.

Her heart should have been shattered, after wanting to see Fehl again for so long…

But her heart was not broken, it was filled with hatred! She felt an almost unquenchable desire to destroy this…this thing, to send its head back to its master in a box!

"Tell Darth Terrog that I will never consent to being one of his lab animals!"

She smiled wickedly at him. Fehl stood before her without another word, she could almost imagine the droid parts in his ravaged brain processing that information, no doubt Terrog was watching somewhere on a monitor, looking through some holo-cam built into this monster's body.

"Actually, I will send the message myself," she purred, "A corpse can speak louder than words."

She lunged forward.

Fehl was no longer there.

When she came down she had barely enough time to whirl around and meet Fehl's saber. There blades came together in a hiss of sparks and fury. Fehl said nothing, he went on the attack.

It was all Avaryss could do to keep up.

She remembered her battle with another of Terrog's pawns, the fool cyborg back on Alderaan. He had been strong in the Force, true, but he had also been limited by his own failings.

If Fehl had any failings, they were not in his physical form; he had been extremely powerful in life.

That power remained, despite all the changes, in fact it was likely taken up to the next level.

That power and speed nearly ended Avaryss' life right.

He rained down blows on her Soresu guard. She met his attacks and pushed them back, barely. The Fehl thing switched flawlessly back and forth between Juyo, Makashi, and Ataru. He moved with a skill that was almost too much for her contend with.

Almost.

She snarled angrily.

He lacks the grace he had when he had truly been alive, she thought, his rage and power remain, but it is the power and rage of an animal, a creature fed on aggressors rather than true feelings."

Avaryss shook her head.

Fehl deserved better than this, she owed it to his memory.

She needed to destroy him.

She needed to set him free of this…outrage!

"This is not how I wanted this to be, my love," he said as he renewed his assault, "This is not how I wanted us to begin again."

She hissed under her breath.

Another canned response.

Darth Terrog needed to find some new material.

_What did he think, that seeing Fehl like this would make her want to become like him? Did the fool actually think she would want to turn herself into some kind of half mechanical freak?!_

If he did, Terrog was a bigger fool that she thought.

She was a Dark Lord of the Sith!

She would never be someone's pet!

She managed to slip under Fehl's guard and cartwheel away, before he could leap at her anew, she blasted him with Force lightning. His cybernetics absorbed the attack, but it left him staggered for the briefest of moments.

She lunged forward switching to the duelist style of Makashi. She was eager to end this.

She was eager to end this joke, and take this mockery's head!

Fehl did not fall back, instead he moved faster than she had ever seen both the dark side and his droid enhancements giving him speed far beyond what was possible.

He deactivated his weapon, it slid up into his wrist disappearing.

His hands were upon her.

He caught her arm, stopping her lightsaber, and with his other hand he caught her by the throat, his metal fingers were like a vice.

She choked, she…she could not breathe!

He squeezed her wrist until it broke, she cried out as her lightsaber fell to the ground.

Fehl lifted her up. His face was without emotion, it was as dead as his flesh.

"You will join us," he said flatly, "But first you will deliver our message to the Empire.

Fehl smiled.

"A new age has begun."

She felt needles, some kind of injectors build into her former lover's arms, they dug into her throat. She felt heat as whatever it was he had injected into her entered her blood stream.

He flung her down hard.

She tried to leap up and engage him, blast him down with Force lightning or another Sith spell, to destroy this…this thing that Darth Terrog had sent.

She tried, but…

AGONY!

Avaryss fell to the ground. The pain was the most intense thing she had ever felt. Even being tortured back on Korriban had not been this horrible!

Her whole body shook, the world turned red, it felt like her blood had been turned into fire and razor blades, every thing hurt.

She fell to the ground, her body shaking uncontrollably.

She was having some kind of convulsions. Her strength in the Force was just enough to let her slip out of her physical form just enough to recognize that fact.

_I'm dying_ she thought; Fehl had killed her_, some kind of poison perhaps, maybe even Synox, which would be as appropriate as it would be ironic. She would…_

She gasped. Suddenly, she was back on the ground, lying before Fehl in the middle of the burning estate.

She coughed and coughed. She tasted blood; it filled her mouth and ran down her nose. She thought that she was crying, but when she went to wipe away the tears, her fingers came back bloody.

The sight horrified her.

She could barely move. Everything still hurt, and she felt exhausted. She looked down at her hands, her pale skin as a mess, her veins stood out, bright red and almost flaring.

She managed to look up at Fehl; the cyborg thing stared down at her watching her with no trace of emotion.

She tried to speak, but her mouth filled with blood, she spat it out and glared at him.

"**What,"** she hissed, "**What did…did you…you inject me with?!"**

"It won't kill you," he said his expression was almost…sad.

"It will not even hurt you, but it will prove my master's point. Terrog's time has come. He will rule not just the Empire, but the Force itself. All those that refuse his gift will be swept away."

Fehl turned to leave; he glanced one last time over his shoulder.

"My master believes you have potential," he said, "He has sensed your growing power, but it is all potential, unrefined. He sent me here to extend his offer…"

Fehl shook his head, perhaps he now realized what she had said was correct. His worlds were just canned responses, perhaps conceived by his new master.

She tried to stand, to draw on the pain that she was feeling, the dark side roared inside of her, but her body refused to rise. It felt…pushed to its limit, unable to barely move.

Fehl walked away, no doubt heading back to the ship, she could make out several shadows, likely the soldier things that he had brought with him.

The hounds return to their master, she thought angrily.

I will skin them all!

She tried to rise again, only to fall back down, the pain had all but subsided now, but she still felt drained.

It was all she could do to keep her eyes open.

Where in the Emperor's name is Xen, she wondered, why is she letting this happen? Is she dead, she had not felt the girl die, still…?"

She heard the distant sound of engines, of a ship lifting off

She could not say for certain how long she simply lay in the dirt, but finally she heard voices, some familiar, others not so much.

"Stay away from her!"

"In the name of the Emperor; you will all stand down!

"You will not touch her!

"If you try to resist you will be shot."

Avaryss wished to call out, order her people to stand down. She thought the one trying to defend her was Xen, but she could not be sure.

Strong hands seized her shoulders, rolling her over onto her back. Her broken wrist throbbed painfully.

She found herself looking up into the helmeted faces of several Sith soldiers, one was holding out some kind of medical scanner, taking readings.

It was at that moment that a sooty familiar face appeared behind them, her eyes cold and icy; when she spoke her voice was dripping with disdain.

"So…it is you," Synestra Feer said coldly.

"I should have known."

Avaryss did not get the chance to answer. She would have preferred to snarl in the other woman's face, but at that point she barely had enough strength left to stay awake.

As she finally lost consciousness, her thoughts turned to Fehl and Darth Terrog. The two of them had spoiled her moment of triumph.

They would not get away with it.

Thought of bloody revenge kept her warm as a full medical team arrived and took her into custody.

She felt something prick her in the arm, and then finally…she let herself fall into darkness, but that darkness was not empty, it was filled with her dreams of vengeance. Terrog would answer for this. He would answer for what he had done to Fehl.

_This is not over my lord,_ she thought as she finally drifted off.

_I'll be coming for you…now._

_I'll be back._


	59. Connections

**Chapter 59: Connection**

She was lost in darkness.

That was how it felt to the girl; the shadow had embraced her, filling her veins with heat and emptiness.

This cannot be, she thought.

She had given up her fear of the darkness years ago; she had embraced it with all its power.

So why was it trying to swallow her up?

Why was it trying to drown her?

She struggled against it, trying to take in the power again, tried to remember who and what she was. Again it left her head spinning, again she felt like she was being consumed; that nothing would be left if didn't stop.

A sob escaped her lips.

It can't end this way.

It can't…

I still have so much to do.

The shadow tightened its grip on her; it was almost painful now, squeezing her like a vice, or some jungle snake just waiting to devour her.

She only just contained the whimper that tried to escape her throat. Her choices had become a garrote around her neck.

Though it was both galling and shaming, she did something she had sworn long ago never to do.

…she cried out.

Help me, somebody! Help me!

The darkness did not care for her cries.

It continued to try and crush her. It continued…

"_This is not your end."_

The voice rose up around her; it was as cold as the void of space and just as pitiless.

She tried to grasp it, to pull herself out of this morass, and find her way towards it.

There was no need, it wanted to be heard.

"_Your line will not end here,"_ the voice proclaimed, "_You are the first step on a long journey, you will not end here, you __**cannot **__end here."_

Through the darkness, she thought she saw a cold blue light. She reached out to it through the Force, trying to pull herself out of the void, trying to find her way to safety.

She found herself drawn to it, the voice pulling her out of nothingness like it was a tether.

For one brief moment she was able to see what it was, and who had spoken.

An old man in a black hooded robe stood before a brazier. He whispered a Sith spell as he looked into the flames, his yellow eyes blazing beneath the shadow of his cowl.

He did not look at the girl, he did not need to.

From where he was, he could no doubt see everything!

The Force had become his eyes; the dark side was merely a lens, a way to see all.

"_Lord Avaryss,"_ the old man murmured.

The girl blinked…she…she **knew** that name!

"_**RISE!"**_

The girl was flung back, or maybe she was pulled, she gasped as the universe itself seemed to spin away from her, and carried her with it, picking up speed, faster and faster she flew.

It was too much…too much.

She tried to cry out, and then…

Everything…stopped.

The girl gasped as she emerged from the darkness. The return left he breathless, she lay gasping where she had landed.

It took a few moments to reorient herself, to reorder her thoughts and make sense of the world again.

The girl blinked.

_What?_ She wondered.

_Where am I?_

She was lying face down on a long sandy beach. Behind her the waters of a large lake lapped gently against the shore, no waves moved across its dark surface, all was calm. A gentle breeze tussled her hair, while a group of small two legged lizards watched her from an old log, chittered excitedly.

The girl groaned and sat up. She no longer felt like was being crushed, the heat that had threatened to consume her had abated, leaving her feeling…confused.

She regarded the strange animals to her right, long necked with short stubby arms and long tails for balance. Though no bigger than a felinx they possessed sharp beaks, beaks that seemed made for tearing flesh.

The girl shuddered.

_Carrion eaters_ she thought, _perhaps they had come to claim her body; perhaps they thought she was dead._

She hissed and shook her head.

Sorry to disappoint you," grumbled at the beasts.

"I'm not dead, yet."

She tried to stand only to be taken down by a sense of vertigo, the lizard-things hooted and chittered excitedly, but made no move to attack.

She glared at them, wishing she had a rock to throw.

Pests!

She looked around her, trying to figure out what had happened, and where she was. The sand beneath her was crimson dotted with smooth grey stones, the land around her looked both rocky and desolate, white fluffy clouds moved across the orange sky as a sun set in the distance.

A peaceful world she thought, but not too peaceful, she could sense the darkness here, its power was…muted, but it was here.

She crawled to the lake, her throat was dry, and it would feel nice to splash some cold water on her face, perhaps even slake her thirst. She went to scoop up a handful but stopped when her senses touched the water.

Not safe, the Force seemed to scream.

Not safe.

She yanked her hand back quickly.

Not safe.

The lake appeared tranquil, but she could sense the power within, the water had an oily, venomous feeling.

She stopped herself.

She would not be drinking any of that water, she would…

It was at that moment that she finally saw her reflection, the waters here were calm, and offered a mirror like surface.

She stifled a gasp.

What in the Emperor's name?!

The face that stared back at her belonged to a ghost, it looked familiar, but was not the reflection she knew. The girl's skin was tanned and freckled; her cheeks were pink with a healthy glow. Her eyes were blue and bright, sharp and daring.

_Not my face_, the girl thought.

That…that isn't me.

She pursed her lips. A name came to them unbidden, a name that was more of a curse than anything else to her.

"Keera Lylos," she whispered.

The girl's name had been Keera Lylos.

But that made no sense!

She had not been Keera Lylos for a very long time. She had given up that name; that face, long ago. Abandoning her past had been a part of her training.

As she looked down into the water, saw Keera' face staring back at her, she grew angry.

She snarled and slammed her fist down into the water, again and again. The face disappeared in the ripples, becoming distorted, but still remained to taunt her.

"I'm not you," she hissed, "You're dead!"

She crawled away from the water, wishing to be anywhere but there at that moment.

"Leave me alone," she spat morosely.

_Just…leave me alone._

One of the lizards bounded up to her, and just barely avoided being kicked. The little animal jumped back, and chittered angrily at her.

The girl closed her eyes and took a shuddering breath.

"I'm _not_ Keera Lylos, she murmured, "I'm not."

She took a deep breath and opened her eyes, willing her anger to rise.

"My name…is Avaryss. I am a Sith, I _**chose **_to become a Sith. The Dark Council promised me a lordship of my own. Keera is _gone_. Keera is **dead**.

She took a deep and cleansing breath.

"My name is Avaryss, and I will not be denied."

"Keera?"

Hearing that name was enough to make her snap her head around, ready to punish whoever dared intrude on her privacy, to see her in such a state of weakness.

Fenn Shadowstone stood a few feet away. Her dream friend was not wearing the garb of the Jedi; he was dressed simply in a pair of trousers and a brown leather vest.

Seeing him so, it made the anger in her heart retreat.

She felt…only relief.

She at last understood some of what was going on.

_I'm not really here_, she realized, _where ever here is. If Fenn is here, that means only one thing._

_This is a dream,_ she thought.

_I'm dreaming._

She took a shuddering breath and nodded.

"Hello, Fenn," she said managing a weak smile.

"It is good to see you again.

The Jedi Padawan did not respond with words, he went to her side and offered her his hand. She took it and allowed him to help her back to her feet. She feared that the vertigo might take her again. But this time it did not.

They walked together, he held her up, one hand on her arm, the other on the small of her back, steadying her.

She was grateful for his help, and felt stronger because of it.

Interesting.

Being here, being in the presence of her old friend had a calming effect on her. She could feel it, their mutual connection, she drew strength from it, strength that allowed her to stand up, and not give into the weakness that had bound her only a few moments ago.

"Are you okay," he asked, "You look…different."

She sniffed indignantly.

"Is there something wrong with the way I look usually?"

The boy's eyes widened.

"NO! Never…it…it is just."

He managed a sheepish smile.

"You look nice."

Avaryss looked down, the clothes she was wearing were familiar to her, or rather…to Keera.

She shook her head.

_She would be wearing this, wouldn't she?_

The shirt was light green and cut just so to expose her mid-drift, the matching skirt was long, with a dark blue sash binding it at her waist. The outfit had been a gift from her mother, after she had noticed her eldest daughter staring at it during a trip to the village of Orid one day. For years Mya Lylos had tried to get her daughter to dress…well…more like a lady. As a child, Keera had always been a bit of tom boy. She had always preferred the company of her father and older brother to that of her mother and little sisters.

Her taste in clothes had never been fancy. She had been perfectly content to wear her chore clothes or the overalls that were the norm for farm kids on Oridanna. Right before she turned fourteen her mother had spotted her eyeing the outfit in a store window. Mya Lylos must have hoped that her little girl's tastes were finally changing, that she was finally taking an interest in being a lady.

She had tried to be coy when she got the clothes for her birthday. She had acknowledged that the outfit was pretty but held her excitement in check. She had not wanted to seem…well…she was not sure what she had not wanted to seem…excited…eager even?

Keera had never said it, but the outfit had intrigued her. Looking back she had not had the figure yet to truly stand out wearing it, she had not developed enough, yet, but…she had liked it, wondered what it would be like to dress so. Her father had not been pleased, but that was because it was Keera wearing it, Pamir would later wear something similar and he did not blink an eye.

Andur Lylos had been content for her to remain that way she was. Maybe he had known what her wearing such clothes would mean. He was not ready to face the fact that his little Blossom had become a young woman. He had not…

_Stop it, _the dark voice within growled; _you've worked too hard to rid yourself of Keera and her weakness._

_Do not give up now!_

She took a deep breath and nodded.

Yes, she had worked hard.

She was not about to let Keera ruin it for her.

Still…Fenn seemed to like it.

Maybe it was worth being seen like this. Maybe being Keera again for a short while would help her reach him.

Their connection with the Force was strong, and it would likely grow stronger.

She nodded.

_I can use that to my advantage._

She gave him a shy smile. The kind that Keera might have worn if complimented.

"You think I look nice?"

The boy blushed.

"Was…was that the wrong thing to say?"

"No," she said coyly.

"It I just nice to know that you're capable of noticing such a thing, I thought you Jedi denied your emotions."

"We try to keep them in check," he replied.

"That is not the same thing."

Oh," she said, trying to keep her voice as innocent as possible.

Again she looked around.

"What is this place? It seems familiar to you."

He nodded.

"This is Ambria," he informed her, "This is where Master Jas took me after Coruscant. He thought it a safe place to train, and help me deal with…well…to deal with what had happened."

Avaryss wrinkled her nose.

"It feels…strange here."

"Ambria is…different to say the least," He admitted, "Both the light and the dark side have held sway here. A Sith Sorcerer nearly destroyed it centuries ago, left the land tainted by some spell. The great Jedi Master Thon came here and did what he could to cleanse the darkness. He was never truly successful, but he was able to contain it."

"In the lake," Avaryss said.

Yes," he answered, "In the lake."

Now she knew why the water had felt so…familiar, so…menacing, though why she had not been able to revel in that power, to bask in it, was beyond her.

Was she still not part of the darkness?

"This place is…neutral territory, I suppose," he informed her, "Both the light and the dark have power here, so it is a place of sanctuary for either Jedi or Sith."

"And Master Jas brought you here," she was puzzled, "Wasn't he worried about you? Was he not afraid you might choose to step towards the darkness?"

"He was," Fenn replied, "But he also knew what I needed. I was so…angry after the sack; he thought that this place would help. I was not the first Jedi student to come here with doubts. In the old days they would journey here to Master Thon, he would help them."

Fenn smiled slightly.

"Thon trained many Jedi here. He trained Nomi Sunrider on the banks of this very lake. She would one day rise to the rank of Jedi Grand Master."

Avaryss did not know who that was, but did not need to.

A hero to the Jedi was an enemy to her.

Hearing Fenn talk about Jedi history reminded her of just how different they were. The two of them were truly from different worlds. His heroes were the villains in the stories she had heard, and hers were no doubt the same for him.

They should have had nothing in common. They should have been enemies in the purest sense of the word, but the connection between them was strong.

We are two sides of the same coin, she thought, light and dark, man and woman.

It was amazing that they could tolerate each other, much less feel comfortable together, and yet, there it was.

Fenn…he felt good, she felt better just being close to him.

Speaking of which…

She smiled.

"I can feel your touch," she said.

He stopped mid-step.

He looked down at his hands.

"You're right," he said, "I…I can feel you, your skin…it is soft."

He did not quite pull away, but his hand fell away from her back, the touch on her arm lessened.

She felt a surge of disappointment.

"We're…we're dreaming, right?" he said sounding confused.

"How is this even possible?"

"We have always had a connection Fenn," she reminded him, "Even when we did not understand what that meant, it was there."

She smiled.

"We might even be able to do this when we are awake one day. Such a connection might seem impossible, but not for us. Not if we continue to grow in the Force."

Her smile brightened.

"It…it is strange isn't it? This bond of ours, I've only heard of family having such strong connections, twins have been known to have it, but even they…"

She felt a slight shift. The mention of twins made him step back; she was confused for a moment, but only a moment.

Fenn took his hands away the two of them still stood on the shore of that lake but it seemed that a wall had gone up between them.

Damn it, she thought.

Why did she have to mention twins?

"What?" she demanded.

"Did I say something wrong?"

Fenn sighed.

"I was with Master Jas when he felt it," Fenn said coolly, "When his brother died, he _sensed _it."

"I see," she said, feeling defensive, "I take it that means that Master Jas knew what his brother was up to, yes?"

"He had his suspicions," Fenn admitted, "He only told me when he sensed his brother's end, which is when he told me everything, about what was happening and about what you told him. You said what you would do if you found the person behind the attacks on your people first."

"I warned him," she admitted.

She looked into her old friend's eyes, not liking what she saw there.

_He will never understand_, the darkness whispered, _there is no point in even trying to make him understand._

And yet, she wanted to try.

She had to try.

"I will not apologize for doing my duty, Fenn."

"So you admit it," he said.

She nodded.

"So you killed Master Sy?"

"Was I there when he was killed? Yes. Did I swing the blade that killed him? No."

She sighed.

"I will not lose any sleep over his end," she said coolly, "And nor should you and Master Jas. I'm sorry that your master had to lose his brother, but for the good of my people, I did it."

She gave him a defiant look.

"As I said, I will not apologize for doing _**my**_ duty, for defending _**my**_ people."

"You could have done something else," he said.

"What else could I have done?"

"You could have reached out to me. I would have informed Master Jas, we would have done something, ended this without the need for any killing."

She shook her head.

Fenn might have been strong and handsome, but he was also being very naïve at that moment.

"You do acknowledge what Sy Dar Bynn was doing, yes? The man was trying to destabilize the Empire, his plots caused many deaths."

She pursed her lips.

"The man was violating the Treaty of Coruscant. He was a terrorist to us, and a traitor to your people. What kind of justice would the Jedi have given him for that? How would they punish him for trying to destroy my people?"

"He would have been taken before the council, and before the courts, he would have answered for what he had done."

"Do you truly believe that?"

"I do, we would have…"

"Let us focus on what might have happened," she said cutting him off, "Let's say that I contacted you. Let's say that you and your master managed to subdue his brother. How would the Jedi Council of responded to his actions?"

Fen fell silent, she could feel him thinking, feel his emotions churning.

There was no easy answer to her question.

"Now let us ask how the Republic would have responded. How would your courts viewed his actions? Would he have been punished, or would the powers that be decide that anyone working to ensure the weakening of the Sith Empire was too valuable to punish? Republic SIS was helping him, I saw their soldiers defending him."

Avaryss' eyes narrowed.

"What if Sy Dar Bynn had managed to talk his way out of what had happened? What if he convinced your Republic Senate to not only condone his actions, but to aid him in rebuilding? By himself, your Master's brother was a threat, with full Republic backing, he would have been even more so."

She shook her head.

"I was not about to let that terrorist talk his way out of his punishment."

She smiled slyly.

"Sy Dar Bynn died a cowering animal. He cared nothing for your order, or your Republic. All he wanted was to be a hero. He wanted to be a figure of legend. Tell me Fenn, is that truly the Jedi way?"

Her friend looked at her, she could sense the coldness radiating off him now. The two of them had never quarreled before, not until this moment.

She could feel his emotions. His anger at what she had done. Yet, at the same time he was shaken, he was not so blinded by his loyalty that he did not see that she had made some good points.

Sy Dar Bynn was her enemy; she made no excuses for destroying an enemy. He had stood in her way, and needed to be removed, the fact that she had won over Xen to her side had been just icing on the cake.

She said nothing of Xen Loor. She did not wish to confuse the matter further. Would Fenn understand his old friend's dark desires, would he understand why she chose to switch sides?

Did it really matter?

He sighed and shook his head.

"You could have done something else," he said, "You did not simply have to execute everyone."

She shrugged.

"Would you have done any different? If you discovered a group of Sith within your Republic working to destabilize the government, trying to cause a civil war, how would you respond to that? Would you have proceeded cautiously, or would you have done what needed to be done."

"I would have stopped them," he admitted.

"And what if you had known that they were friends of mine? What if they had been close to me? Would you still have done your duty?"

His eyes narrowed.

"I wouldn't have like it, but…"

"But you still would have acted," she said finishing his sentence.

She smiled.

"Doing ones duty is never easy, but it must be done. For what it is worth, Master Jas has my sympathies. I know what it is like to lose family, even when they are not worthy of the name, family is still family."

She shook her head.

"I respect your master, and I hope that he understands. His brother was unworthy of him, and he was unworthy of you, and of your order."

Fenn's hands were clenched into fists, she could feel his emotions.

He is not a fool. He knows that I'm right, I've never lied to him, and we have never lied to each other. The truth of this matter is inconvenient, but it is still the truth.

Sy Dar Bynn had to go.

She made no apologizes for that.

He looked about to turn away from her, she did not want that.

She reached out and put her hand on his arm, she could feel the corded muscle there, the smoothness of his sun warmed skin.

The sensation stirred her blood, it made her body warm.

"Stop," he murmured.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because we can't."

She smiled.

"All I did was touch your arm."

"It means more than that, and you know it."

"Does it?" she purred, "What exactly does it mean?"

He shook his head.

He would not say it, but he desired to touch her as much as she desired to touch him.

She…she had not felt like this in a long time. The lovers she had had in the last year had never made her feel like this. She and Fenn had never been intimate, but…

It had been like this with Fehl…once.

Thinking of her former love filled her with sorrow. She should have been heart broken, but she was not. Her heart was intact, and the reason why was standing in front of her, it had always been here.

She had just never realized until now.

"I've hurt you," she said, "I've hurt us."

He gave her a pained look.

"I think we have other things to worry about right now, don't you?"

She nodded.

"Terrog," she said, "Is that who you mean?"

Fenn nodded.

"That is the monster's name, yes. How do you know him?"

"He is my master's rival, and now he is my enemy."

"Why?" Fenn asked, "Did he hurt you?"

"He took something that I desired and he profaned it. That act was bad enough, but he has also destroyed an imperial world. He is going to answer for it. I will make sure that he answers for it."

"I see," her old friend said, "He destroyed a world in the Republic too. Then he sent a message to the Senate, informing both them and the order that he had found a way to make the Force…his. That he had found a way to decide who is worthy of its power and who is not."

"How will your council respond?"

"I'm not sure yet," he shrugged, "But there must be one. If this man can pick and choose who can feel the Force and who can't…"

Avaryss nodded.

That was too much power, especially in the hands of a demented lunatic like Terrog.

"Perhaps I can help," she offered.

"How," he asked.

She grinned.

You might be surprised."

"I don't know, I think you are capable of some pretty amazing things."

Her eyes lit up.

"Really?

He blushed and looked away.

"Um…forget I said anything."

She laughed.

"Is this how a great Jedi talks to a woman?"

Fen coughed and laughed nervously.

"No, this is me, making a complete and utter mess out of trying to talk to a woman."

"I don't know," she said innocently, "You seem to be doing an okay job to me."

He met her gaze, he was blushing.

It was kind of cute.

"Really?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Really."

It was in that moment that she realized that she was tired of waiting, tired of pretending that this was just a dream.

It was more, she knew it was.

She wanted to see just how much more it was.

She leaned in pressing her hands to his chest.

His eyes widened.

"Um…Keera, what are you…?"

He did not get a chance to finish.

He lips met his.

The kiss was chaste, the barest of touches, but in that moment she felt what could be, the fire and the heat.

She was afraid he was going to back away, that he was going to reject her.

Please don't, she wanted to say.

Please.

Despite his nervousness, he did not back away, the warrior in him came out, she supposed.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him...

Their lips met bathing them both in a sweet heat, and heat the reverberated through the Force.

He tried to pull his hands away, but she, used her own, first to hold them, then to guide them over her body.

When the kiss broke…they were both panting.

He smiled.

She responded with yet another gentle kiss, one that he returned passionately.

"Yes," she murmured.

"Yes."

This wasn't real, she knew, but that did not matter, it felt real enough in that moment.

His hands slid over her body, as her fingers undone the buttons on his vest.

"I can't," he whimpered.

"I…shouldn't."

She kissed him again moving his right hand up her thigh.

"You can," she said in a husky voice.

"I want you to…I…"

The world spun away, Avaryss was ripped from his arms.

She heard Fenn call out!

He called out to Keera!

"NNNNNOOOOOOOOO!"

IOI

Avaryss opened her eyes. Her breath came in excited gasped; distantly she could hear a heart monitor beeping.

She shook her head.

What was that! She wondered.

What the hell just happened?!

"Can you hear me, apprentice?"

The voice came over a loud speaker; it was both cold and cruel.

The young Sith looked around quickly; the chamber that she was in was both white and seem less. She was strapped to a medical table, wearing nothing but a hospital wrap.

The memory of Fenn's touch still burned in her mind, that and the sense of both disappointment and anger!

Damn it, she thought.

Damn it to the darkest pit of hell!

Why now? Why did they have to bring her back now?

She and Fenn had just been about to get down to business!

Damn them all!

"Apprentice?"

"What?!" she spat.

"You should try to relax," the voice over the loud speaker was not her master, but she could hear the same condescending tones.

She took a shuddering breath.

It did little to push back the anger.

There was a single man in the room with her; he was dressed all in white, wearing a full bio-hazard suit.

"What is going on?" she asked.

"Why am I here?"

"You have been exposed to what we have come to know as the Fydon virus," the voice over the loudspeaker informed her.

"The man before you is Dr. Foss, he is going to be taking a blood sample; it should only take a moment."

Avaryss eyes widened.

The Fydon virus? That is what Fehl injected her with?!

She remembered what the dark council told her about Fydon, what the disease that had been unleashed there did.

"Am I unwell?" she asked.

"That is what we are trying to determine, apprentice," a new voice this time, a woman's voice. It was far warmer than the one who had first addressed her, and it was familiar."

"While you were unconscious, we performed several tests," another new voice, this one sounded strange, like he was speaking through a vocoder.

Avaryss smiled.

She thought she knew who she was dealing with now.

Who else would the Sith have trusted to research this virus?

"What have your tests discovered?" she asked.

"So far your blood work has come back normal my dear," the woman answered, "Though the virus is in your blood stream, we are seeing no signs of mutation."

"Which is something we have not seen in other victims of this sickness," the mechanical voice said.

"You appear to be a bit of an anomaly, child," the first voice said again, "We must examine you further.

She sneered at that idea.

"Just go speak with Darth Terrog," she informed them, "His apprentice was the one that exposed me. I'm sure he had many of the answers to your questions."

"He is already being sought," the woman's voice informed her, "In the meantime, we must test your connection to the Force. Other Sith exposed to this virus lost their connection to it."

"Indeed," the first voice said again, "Tell us girl, can you sense the Force at all? Are you deadened to its call?"

Avaryss rolled her eyes.

She was finally out of patience.

Terrog was out there somewhere, and they wanted her to perform Force tricks for them?

Fine.

She would show them a trick.

She could have simply disengaged the manacles holding her to the table, but she was feeling a bit more theatrical. She reached out with the Force and caused them to twist and shatter.

She leapt off the table and stood glaring up at the man in the hazard suit.

She smiled.

_Sorry friend_, she thought.

_You just got chosen to be my lab animal._

She grabbed by the throat with the Force, lifted him several inches off the floor, she could not hold it for long, but she did not need to.

She slammed him down hard, face first, the face plate of his helmet shattered, his nose exploded as it struck the hard white floor.

She dragged the man to her, leaving a bloody smear across the sterile floor.

She brought the man to a stop at her feet; she was tempted to order him to kiss them, to show the three watching her that she was not some weak willed child that they could toy with it.

"As you can see, I've not lost my connection to the Force," she called out.

The doctor lay at her feet whimpering in both pain and fear.

"I've passed your bloody test," she growled, still feeling frustrated about the thing with Fenn, what they had denied her.

"I need to speak with someone on the council, preferably Darth Marr."

There was no answer.

"Now," she spat.

The door to the chamber opened, the three who she had been speaking with stood before her.

The one on the left was a large dark skinned cyborg, he might have been human once, but that was clearly a long time ago. The woman on the right was blonde, pretty, with bright blue eyes and a gentle smile.

An illusion, Avaryss realized she knew what the woman really was; she could sense the glamour she was using to appear young.

Avaryss was not impressed.

The man in the middle was the one who truly mattered; he was not only a dark lord, but head of the pyramid of knowledge. HE was one of the guardians of Sith wisdom and tradition.

Avaryss bowed slightly.

"Darth Thanaton," she said in greeting.

"Apprentice Avaryss," the man said returning her nod, "I'm sure you remember my associates Lord Scotia and Lord Zash."

Avaryss nodded.

She knew their names; of course, she had actually done some research work for Zash during her student time on Korriban, while she had been enjoying the patronage of Overseer Harkun.

She was not surprised to see that these three had gotten involved in this.

The leader of the pyramid of knowledge motioned for her to follow; his lieutenants fell in step behind him.

"This way apprentice," he said, completely ignoring the whimpering doctor laying the floor.

"We have matters to discuss."


	60. The New Enemy

**Chapter 60: The New Enemy**

Darth Thanaton led the way. The dark lord said nothing to Avaryss as they made their way down the long corridors of the Sith Citadel. Scotia followed behind them, his eyes, both organic and synthetic, never leaving Avaryss' back. Lord Zash walked beside her; the old Sorceress had an amused expression on her face.

The young Sith frowned.

She saw nothing here that was even remotely amusing.

Being here in such a state, and in such company, left her feeling…uneasy. They had not returned her lightsaber to her, and with the exception of having a servant droid offer her a robe to protect her modesty, they had said nothing of what had been happening since she had been brought here. She was not even sure how long she had been here for.

She had been to the citadel many times since her master had first brought her here to Dromund Kaas. Normally, the hallways were a flurry of activity, this tower was the nerve center for the Empire, yet the halls that they were going down were empty, not even a droid crossed their path.

"What is going on," Avaryss whispered to Zash.

"Where is everyone?"

The other woman smiled.

"Just a precaution, my dear, the Fydon virus is quite…aggressive, the Dark Council thought it prudent to isolate you, just in case Lord Thanaton was wrong about the conclusions he has made."

"And what conclusions are those?" Avaryss asked.

It was not Zash that answered, but Thanaton himself.

He did not sound pleased.

"The council does not wish to cause a panic. Word about Fydon is starting to get out, even more so since Lord Terrog made his grand announcement."

The Dark Lord turned to her.

"He mentioned _**your **_name specifically in that announcement, claiming you were the proof that his work was not only viable, but the reason that we should all flock to his banner.

Thanaton leaned in closer; it was all Avaryss could do to resist the urge to step back.

"Tell me girl, why would he do that?"

She stood before him, defiantly.

"Terrog's apprentice injected me with something during our fight at the estate," she replied, I didn't know what it was, but it felt like someone had planted a star in my chest."

She glared.

"I didn't know what was going on when I came home, in truth I still don't."

"Perhaps you would care to enlighten me."

The Dark Lord gave her an icy smile.

"When you were first taken into custody, your blood was swimming with a strain of the Fydon virus. We isolated you as fast as we could, quarantined the survivors, but even then we suspected that it was too late. The virus destroyed our forces on Fydon within a matter of days."

"And yet…I do not feel sick?" Avaryss informed him, "When the council informed me of this virus, they said it destroyed the Force connection of any Sith that had been infected, yet my powers remain."

"How is that possible?"

"Because the strain you were infected with what not meant to make you ill," Zash said quickly.

Thanaton nodded.

Terrog wanted to make an example of you," he said, "We have kept you sedated here for the last six days. We have performed multiple tests, both through the Force and by scientific means. Hours after your infection, your body's functions seemed to have returned to normal. Further tests revealed that what you were injected with has strengthened your body, making it resistant to the strain that was released on Fydon."

"Really," Avaryss said, a hint of surprise in her voice, "How were you able to test that?"

"Blood Samples taken from you were exposed to the original virus. A body recovered from Fydon, but kept in extreme isolation provided the sample we needed. When exposed, your blood did not mutate, in fact the virus died within a matter of minutes, unable to interact with the cells."

Thanaton smiled.

"Zash says you are intelligent. What is your conclusion, apprentice? What did Darth Terrog's servant inject you with?

She really did not need to guess. The answer was fairly obvious, considering Lord Thanaton's explanation.

"Fe…Lord Terrog's apprentice told me what he injected into me would not hurt me, despite the pain it caused."

Avaryss nodded.

"It was not the _disease _he injected into me. It was some kind of _vaccine,_ wasn't it?"

The Dark Lord nodded.

"Bravo, apprentice," he said smirking.

"Bravo."

Avaryss smirked.

_Oh Terrog._

_What are you up to?_

"We needed to make sure that we were correct," Scotia added, the metallic ring of his voice echoing off the deserted halls. "Test subjects were placed in your examination chamber, to see if air born infection was possible. We then exposed them to your blood."

"All tests came back negative," Zash said merrily.

"It seems that you have been made immune to the virus, child," Thanaton added, "Now we have to decide what to do with you."

"With me," Avaryss blinked.

"Yes," Scotia hissed, "You have the secret of Terrog's weapon in your blood. We contemplated your…dissection, brain matter, organ tissue, bone marrow; any of them could have yielded the means of protecting the order from what Terrog has created."

Avaryss winced.

Scotia's words reminded just how much a single life was worth in the order. Still, she still drew breath…

"Why am I still alive?"

"Any attempt we made to extract the vaccine from your body destroyed it." Thanaton said, "Lord Terrog has once again proved his brilliance in the field of viral weaponry."

"Killing you would have yielded nothing."

Avaryss almost laughed.

Terrog did have a unique sense of humor.

He sends Fehl to burn the Feer Estate, yet he has him give Avaryss the means to survivor his little plague.

Interesting.

She remembered Fehl's programed speech about her having potential, did Terrog think to shame Lord Feer by having her join him? Had he thought showing her Fehl in such a state would have prompted her to join him?

If he had…he was greatly mistaken.

What Terrog had done to Fehl had guaranteed only one thing.

He had stolen Fehl from her, their chance to be reunited properly.

She hated him for that.

She would kill him for that, no…killing him was too small a word.

She wanted to **punish** him, she would tear him apart, she would pull out his cybernetics, bolt by bolt, and circuit by circuit. She would make him beg, but those pleas would fall on deaf ears. She would keep him alive long enough…just _**long**_ enough.

The last sight that Darth Terrog would see would be her tearing his heart out of his chest and beginning to eat it. The light would fade from his eyes as she stood before him smiling, her teeth and lips red with his life blood.

And even that…seemed too good for the dark lord; even that vengeance did not seem to be enough.

Avaryss smiled.

She would need to give it some thought

Death is too good for the Hutt spawn.

She would need to come up with something more…delicious.

She gave Darth Thanaton and his underlings a sly look.

"Where is Terrog," she asked, "I feel the need to…thank him for his lovely gift."

"That is an excellent question, apprentice," Thanaton said, "At the moment we do not know."

That did surprise her.

"I thought he was under house arrest?"

"We thought so too."

Avaryss' eyes narrowed.

"Then how can we not know where he is?"

The Dark Lord's eyes turned cold.

"Do not forget your place girl," he reminded her, "I'm a Darth of the Sith Empire."

"You have no right to demand answers from me."

"My apologies my lord," she said quickly, "I was merely wondering how Terrog could have escaped the might of our Empire."

For a moment it seemed that the lord was not going to let it go, that he was going to punish her for her insolence, but then…he relented.

"After the attack on the Feer estate, a team was sent to take Lord Terrog into custody. He invited them in, everything seemed normal…"

"That is when they were attacked," Zash offered.

"Yes," Thanaton said glaring at his underling, "What the council thought was Terrog was actually some alchemical creature, probably grown from his cells. The creature killed the whole team, it died shortly after, but by then it was clear that we had been tricked.

"Terrog has not been on Dromund Kaas for days, possibly months."

Avaryss considered that.

Her hatred for the dark lord only grew.

_How long had he had Fehl's body, how long had he kept it hidden, working on it, changing it, implanting cybernetic devices?"_

She did her best to keep her calm.

She wanted to get back to her Fury, to hunt the mad cyborg where ever he had gone…

But she couldn't…she needed to be smart about this.

"You said Terrog sent some kind of announcement?"

"Indeed," Thanaton said. "It was broadcast galaxy wide, both the Empire and Republic heard it."

"What does he want?" she asked.

"The Force itself, apparently," Zash answered,

"The fool claims to have moved beyond being Jedi or Sith," Scotia said, "He has claimed dominion over the Force itself. He says that any that oppose him will have the Force stripped from them, and that those that follow him will be granted a stronger connection to it. He has commanded that both Jedi and Sith assemble, and swear allegiance to the Will of Terrog, the guiding hand of the Force itself."

"Does he honestly believe that is going to work?" Avaryss asked, "It's insane!"

"Insane or not, his virus as the capability to do what he says, all the Sith exposed to it on Fydon lost their connection. If it is a threat…then it is one he is capable of carrying out."

Avaryss nodded, she was thinking about was the Force meant, both to the Jedi and Sith. She thought of Sy Dar Bynn and his fanatics.

How many more Jedi were like that? How many more ticking bombs were hiding in the order? How many would follow Terrog just to keep their powers?

How many Sith would join him?

"Has the Emperor been told of this nightmare? He must emerge from seclusion; he might lead us against this threat!

The look on the three lords' faces told her all she needed to know.

The Emperor remained silent.

He was not going to answer this threat.

Avaryss' eyes narrowed.

What good was an Emperor that did not rule?

"I suspect that the council is organizing a response, but…"

"They are probably not sure who to trust," Avaryss said nodding.

How many fools would follow Terrog? If the Emperor did not stir himself from his seclusion...?

"Are we going to strike back?"

"That is up to the council," Thanaton said.

"I want in," she said.

Scotia snorted.

"You are not going anywhere, girl, the means to protect us from Terrog's virus is inside you."

"Yes it is," she said, "And that is the best reason that I should be the tip of the blade that we point at that mad fool's throat."

She looked at all three of them.

"My loyalty is to the Empire, first and foremost. I will not rest until Terrog lays broken at the Emperor's feet. Send word to the council, to my master, I'm sure that they will grant this request."

She once again turned to Thanaton alone, he was the senior Sith.

"I can do this my lord. Grant me the chance."

"Yes, give her the chance," a familiar and cold voice rang out.

Lady Synestra had appeared out of nowhere, she strode towards the four of them. Her eyes were cold and imperious.

"Give her a chance to go running to her new master. I'm sure that Terrog will welcome her."

My lady," Avaryss said bowing, "Forgive me for saying so, but you do not know what you are talking about."

Lord Feer's wife stopped before them, her hand on the lightsaber hilt on her belt.

"Lady Feer," Thanaton said nodding in greeting, "You were advised to remain in quarantine with the others."

"An unnecessary quarantine," she spat back, "Terrog would never have threatened this one, not after everything she has given him."

"You don't know what you are talking about," Avaryss hissed, wishing she had her own blade.

If Synestra Feer attacked her…?"

"I've seen the recordings of the attack," the lady said, "Terrog's creature, the beast he sent to burn my home was this one's toy back on Korriban. Terrog brought him back to please her, to reward her for her loyal service."

"LIES!" Avaryss snarled.

"She has been part of Terrog's schemes from the beginning. She had sought nothing but the death of my family. She wants to kill us all. She wants to kill my son! She wants to kill me!"

Avaryss had heard enough.

She leapt away from the group, but not before she used the Force to yank Zash's lightsaber from her belt.

She caught the blade and ignited it. Before the Lady could respond, she lunged forward, the crimson light illuminating Synestra Feer's features.

"WITCH!" Avaryss shrieked swinging her blade down in a wicked arc.

Somehow the lady managed to get her blade up in time.

The two weapons met with an evil hiss.

Avaryss snarled as she tried to bring her blade down on her enemy.

Lady Feer struggled; she was clearly not used to lightsaber combat anymore.

Avaryss grinned.

She felt the dark side surging inside of her.

"I never betrayed our house," she hissed, "I played the good apprentice, I truly did."

"STOP THIS," she heard Thanaton shout.

"Both of you stop!"

Avaryss and Synestra did not obey.

This fight had been a long time coming.

Avaryss had put up with the woman's slights long enough.

She would hear no more of her lies and slander. She would no longer tolerate the woman's son.

She would never again ignore his perverted glances.

She was sick of it.

She was sick of all of them!

Avaryss leaned in closer, as Synestra Feer was forced to her knees, only just able to hold the blade back.

Avaryss felt triumphant, she felt justified, and hungry for blood.

Only a little more…, she thought.

…Just a little farther.

"I am going to kill you, milady," she confessed, "And I am going to kill your rodent of a son.

"No," Synestra Feer hissed, Avaryss could feel the fear in her, see it in her eyes.

It was delicious.

"Your house is mine," Avaryss said as the blade got closer to the lady's shoulder, the fabric of her robes began to burn from the merest touch of the blade. I single tear ran down the lady's cheeks.

Glorious!

Wonderful!

"I will rule all," Avaryss promised her.

"I am the rightful ruler of our house," she purred.

"I am…Avaryss! I am…"

The young Sith blinked, she sensed a new presence, a presence she had not sensed since…

"Master?!"

The Force lifted Avaryss up and away, it scooped her up ice she was nothing.

She struck the wall so hard she saw stars explode across her field of vision!

She hissed with barely restrained fury!

Damn it!

Damn it to hell!

Through the red haze of her fury, she saw Darth Feer standing before her, at his side stood Darth Marr and Darth Vengean.

They were all watching her, these high lords of the Empire.

Her master had her at his mercy.

What happened next was up to him.

She did not struggle, there was no point.

Zash reached out and retrieved her lightsaber through the Force.

Feer stood before her like some warrior god, his eyes cold and pitiless.

Marr and the other councilors said nothing; this had nothing to do with them. Thanaton and his fellows would do nothing, this was not their fight.

Avaryss glared at Lord Feer, her lord and tormentor.

Her master's eyes were as cold and dead as space.

"You forget your place…apprentice," he growled.

Synestra staggered to her feet.

"Kill her husband," she shouted, "The witch wants all us dead. She betrayed us to Terrog! Strike her down and protect our family!"

Synestra smiled triumphantly.

"Kill her husband!"

"Kill her now!"

Avaryss looked at Darth Feer, pleading for her life would not help, and if she did she would lose the respect of every lord here. She would not be able to show her face in the Empire again, not as a Sith Lord anyway.

Marr watched her, she could not feel his emotions; she felt nothing accept curiosity.

"What do you have to say, apprentice," Lord Feer demanded, "What do you have to say to me?"

Avaryss glared at him.

There were so many things she wanted to say.

_I loathe your wife!_

_I despise your son!_

_I will destroy you for what you did to my family!_

_I will turn your dreams to ash!_

_I hate you._

Those three words echoed over and over through her blackened soul.

_I hate you._

_I hate you._

_**I HATE YOU!**_

The dark side flowed through her like oily venom; it was a fire in her blood. She wanted to lash out, to destroy anyone and everyone.

She wanted to kill everyone in this room!

Her eyes blazed with crimson fire.

In that one brief moment she was not here, she was standing on some distant rocky shore, great rivers of lava flowed around her. Words of rage and fury were echoing in her ears.

_**I HATE YOU!**_

_**I HATE YOU!**_

Avaryss shuddered, the fury passed, it turned into dark cold rage.

Rage would not save her; it would not give her what she wanted.

Only one thing would do that, only one act could save her, and give her the chance to continue on.

She took a shuddering breath.

Submit, only that would give her what she wanted. Submission.

There would be another time, a better time.

She bowed her head, and in that moment she hated herself as much as she hated everyone else in this room.

Submission.

Damn it.

"What is thy bidding, my master." She said it loud enough so that they could all hear.

Darth Feer approached. He was at least going to let her keep a shred of her dignity.

"Is that the only thing you want to say, my child," he whispered, "Is that the only thing you want to say to me...**daughter."**

She swallowed hard.

Damn him.

She met his gaze, feeling like a traitor.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Forgive me, _father_."

Darth Feer did something then that she would not have expected.

He smiled, and whispered in her ear.

"Your time is not yet here, daughter, be patient."

He gestured, releasing her.

She fell to the floor and to her knees.

She bowed in submission to her master.

"You are mine?" he asked, loud enough so that all could hear him.

"I am yours." She promised.

"Body and soul?"

"Yes, master," she said with a shuddering breath.

"Body and soul."

Feer nodded and stepped back.

"Rise…my apprentice."

She did as she had been ordered, and hated herself even more. She took her place at his side, bowing her head in submission.

He did it again, she thought.

He broke me…humiliated me.

But this did not feel the same as it had on Korriban. Her confidence was not broken, it had simply fallen back; it was waiting.

Now was not her time, not yet.

But it would come.

Eventually.

Feer turned to his fellow lords. Lady Synestra glared at her, but would not challenge her husband in front of so many powerful lords.

Feer smiled.

"Forgive my apprentice, my lords, she has been through much."

Feer's expression turned hungry.

"Now my friends…

His eyes flashed with excitement.

"…It is time to go to war."


	61. War Council

**Chapter 61: War Council**

_I feel like a dog on a leash._

Avaryss followed in her master's wake as they approached her ship. She found herself surrounded not only by her master's family and advisors, but his bodyguards as well. Twelve fully trained Sith warriors from his holdings in the Zahn system. These men were a mix of marauders and assassins, their skill alone was enough to give her pause, not that she would act so foolishly. In fact, she had been slightly insulted when he informed her that his guards would be accompanying them.

_Does he not trust me anymore? It is not like I would get him on board and…as soon as we were safely away…shove him out the nearest airlock._

The thought, though ridiculous, did make her smile.

_On second thought, perhaps, Lord Feer is right not to board my ship alone_. It would have presented her with an excellent opportunity.

Still…there would be another time, a better one.

Her time **would **come.

Since he had reestablished his dominance over her, Lord Feer had reclaimed pretty much everything that she had brought back with her, both her supplies and her people, he had even commandeered her interceptor, he saw the ship as a safer alternative to taking a shuttle up to _The Terror,_ the dreadnaught had just arrived in the Dromund system.

So be it, she thought, still…it would have been better had she been consulted on this plan. Her crew was not the spit and polish imperials that her master was used to.

She would have preferred that he not get any ideas when it came to her peoples capabilities, those capabilities might prove invaluable on the day she finally staged her coup.

I have nothing to worry about; the others are smart enough to hide their special…talents. The only thing she was concerned about was Beric, given that he now knew what had happened to the rest of their family…

No, Beric Lylos was Imperial navy; he knew how to act around a dark lord. She would have preferred to speak to the others first prepared them for this change in leadership. It would have made things…easier.

Unfortunately, she had had no choice; Lord Feer had not given her one. For the first time in months, their house was once again unified.

He had no intention of splitting up again, not when total war was so close.

Lord Terrog had proclaimed himself both the voice and will of the Force, and by doing so, he had all but claimed dominion over both the Sith and the Jedi. She had no idea how the Jedi would respond to the mad cyborg's demands, but the Sith at least were prepared to do what was necessary.

Terrog's madness could not be allowed to continue.

The mad fool needed to die.

Lord Marr was in charge of the operation, but given the history between Feer and Terrog, her master was now the councilor's first and greatest advisor. Feer was eager to prove himself, and see his old rival finally brought low.

Her master's eagerness surprised her. After what Terrog had done to Fydon and their estate, it was clear that he was more dangerous than they had ever given him credit for.

Feer only saw the opportunity that presented itself, the chance to secure Terrog's holdings for himself.

We can't afford to look past Terrog, Avaryss knew, the prize is not within reach yet, not until the cyborg was gone.

She hoped her master understood that.

She stood to his right while Warmaster Feore was at his left. The old pure blood had said nothing to her since their reunion, there had been a time that she had considered the old man a possible ally, now she was not so sure, she still remembered their conversation from when she had been on Nal Hutta, and she still smarted from the rebuke he had given her.

The man's loyalty to her master left her unsure of his final fate.

Lady Synestra and Bael were also here, with the destruction of the Feer estate, her master thought it a good idea to transfer their house flag to his dreadnaught, the survivors of that attack were already aboard, ready to serve their master, and to aid him in his revenge against his hated rival.

Avaryss could feel her ladyship's eyes burning into her back. She had surprised the other woman with her strength back at the citadel. The Lady had always underestimated her and had almost paid the price for that, had her husband not intervened, she might have died then and there. After they had been out of earshot of the other dark lords, she had voiced her displeasure to her husband about his choice, about his decision not to punish his apprentice for her actions.

"She would have killed me, husband," Synestra reminded him.

"She might have, yes," he agreed dryly.

She gave him a look of pure shock, appalled by his lack of concern.

"Is that all you have to say?"

Feer chuckled.

"I will not break one of my best blades the day before we go to war. I _**need**_ Avaryss right now, and she has been reminded of her place."

Avaryss said nothing to that, yes, she had been reminded of her place, and reminded of the fact that she needed to be patient.

_There would be a better time to deal with Synestra Feer._

"She has disobeyed me at every turn," the lady had reminded her husband, "She _**refused**_ a direct order to return to Dromund Kaas. You named me the head of our family in your absence, and she chose to ignore that."

"She did," he agreed, "And in doing so completed the mission I sent her on. We have gained great prestige with the dark council for her actions. The Jedi conspiracy against the Empire is no more."

Feer gave his wife a sardonic smile.

"You could have contacted me, my love…when Avaryss disobeyed. I might have aided you, contacted Avaryss myself, she would have listened. Instead, my darling, you _**chose**_ to act on your own, to try and get a death order signed against young Avaryss."

He sneered.

"How did you think she would react when she found out? How would **you** have reacted?"

The Lady had no response to that.

"She disobeyed me," she said sullenly.

"And I've disciplined her for it, but now is not the time to squabble amongst ourselves. Terrog has shown himself to be not only a threat to us, but to the Empire as a whole."

Feer grinned triumphantly.

"The council knows of my relationship with Terrog, how I've been preparing to deal with him. My preparations make our house the best suited to deal with this threat. Lord Marr understands that, we must put our best foot forward now, and push on; we must continue to impress the dark council.

He turned to both Avaryss and his wife.

"There will be no infighting or bickering from this point on. We have a _**real **_enemy to deal with. I expect you both to keep that in mind and work towards seeing our star continue to rise both during and after this crisis. AM I clear?

Avaryss nodded, she kept her expression neutral.

Synestra hesitated, but eventually did nod sullenly. It was clear to Avaryss that the lady was not done with her.

_Fine,_ Avaryss thought.

_I'm not done with her either._

"This is most exciting father," Bael Feer said, "I've long looked forward for a chance to test myself against the cyborg's pawns."

Avaryss almost rolled her eyes at the statement.

Bael had grown up quite a bit since their last meeting. Gone was cringing little rodent that had haunted her chambers and in his place stood a proper young man, physically anyway, it appeared that the young master had had his final growth spurt, and had shot up to his full height. Though he bore the features of his father, he stood taller, and was far more broad shouldered. He had grown into a handsome young man, but that did not change what Avaryss sensed through the Force, nor changed the boy's actions back at the estate.

He had hid with his mother and the rest of the survivors. It was a smart move perhaps, but not one that one would expect from a young Sith looking to take over his father's holdings one day. As always, she could feel his regard, his eyes crawling over her body.

It was enough to make her shudder.

He might not look it anymore, but he was still the little rodent she remembered.

She also noticed that he was wearing a lightsaber now. She was not sure where he had gotten it from but…

Had he chosen to engage Fehl, or rather thing that had been Fehl, he would have fallen for sure outside the estate, a shame that that battle had not taken place. She was not sure if Bael would be joining them on this mission, or if his father would decide the time had finally come to send him off to Korriban. It would likely be for the best.

If he did, she hoped her master was smart enough to take the blade away. If Bael thought wearing a lightsaber on Korriban would make him more feared he was gravely mistaken. The blade would be the equivalent of putting a target on his back. Every senior student in the academy would be eager to take him down, to prove their superiority.

Of course, if that did happen, it would be in her best interests to say nothing. Bael being gone would move her plans forward, and it would definitely distract Lady Synestra.

No, she would keep quiet, if Bael was that stupid, then he deserved his fate.

The life of a Sith acolyte was not easy, nor should it be; only the strong survived.

It would be interesting to see just how strong the young master was.

Her crew waiting outside when they arrived, Avaryss' heart skipped a beat when her master regarded her people, wondering how he would react.

He smiled.

"You have all served House Feer well," he called out, "Your work on the behalf of my apprentice has been most appreciated, you will all find that me most generous in the days to come. I know how to reward good service."

Avaryss said nothing. If her master was trying to turn her crew to his side, then he had gravely misread the situation.

She had fought beside these people, bled with them.

It would take more than the promise of mere rewards to sway them from her side now.

He barely acknowledged Ensign Holli, and why would he? The changeling girl had already been in his service when Avaryss had first been given the ship.

She doubted her master had any idea how talented the young engineer was.

He passed Rink with the barest of nods. Feer likely thought the young man was used up, and was now simply a plaything of his apprentice, once again, not true. The Force continued to flow strangely around the former street rat, Avaryss was most eager to see how that would finally manifest itself.

Beric stood at attention, in full combat gear and helmet, on the surface he was the perfect soldier. When he had first entered their service, she had wisely chosen to list only Beric's operating number in her report to her master. If he had done any digging her would have discovered that he was her brother, but she did not think Feer would have bothered. Beric was not Force sensitive, and in her master's eyes, that meant that he was simply a tool to be used and then discarded when the time was right.

That belief served his apprentice well; she would do nothing to discourage it.

Her master stayed before her brother a bit longer than Holli, but finally nodded and moved on. She could feel his attention shifting fully to the last three members of her crew.

These ones were what truly interested him.

HK stood silently as her master inspected him. She had ordered the droid to say nothing in the presence of her master, to speak only when spoken to, and not to inform her master of his "Meatbag" status, no matter how much the droid longed to do so.

She doubted that her master would very understand about such a thing.

It was then that her master's eyes fell on her two apprentices. Xen and Quenya kneeled as he approached; the two could sense the power that her master wielded.

They were wise to do so.

Feer sneered and turned to her.

"It seems that you have upgraded your arsenal since we last spoke, apprentice. Introduce me to these young ladies."

"As you will, master," she replied, "Darth Feer, may I present Xen Loor and Quenya Sai Malloc, both formerly of the Jedi Order."

Ladies," he said bowing his head in greetings.

"Apprentices," she said to the two, "This is my master, Darth Feer, Dark Lord, and master of the Zahn and Itae systems."

"Greetings, my lord," they said in unison, nothing was out of place, neither radiated anything but submission.

Avaryss was pleased.

"Apprentices," Lady Synestra sneered as she regarded the two, "And who is your master?"

"Master Avaryss, my lord," Quenya responded.

"She is our master, and teacher," Xen added.

Synestra rolled her eyes.

"The girls are both fools to think that you are worthy of teaching them anything."

Avaryss said nothing, though her hand did clench into a fist.

_You have no idea what I'm capable of witch,_ she thought.

If my master was not here…

"Synestra be civil," Feer said dismissively, "I can sense the loyalty of these two; they trust our young Avaryss, that and their desire to know more about the dark side."

He turned to his apprentice with a pleased smile.

"You have grown since our first meeting on Korriban. The Force is strong with you, and now you are learning how to bring others into your service, I'm most pleased with your progress."

He turned back to Xen and Quenya.

"You will serve your master well, just as she serves me well. The Houses of Feer and Avaryss are allies; I look forward to seeing your skills in defending that alliance."

"We are being ready, my lord," Quenya said bowing her head.

"We are eager to serve," Xen responded, her voice a sensual purr.

Bael grinned hungrily as he took in Xen for the first time. Unlike Quenya who had chosen a simple black body suit and cloak. Xen's outfit was more…provocative. Skin tight leggings, a hooded top with a plunging neck line, the former Jedi was only just learning to revel in her emotions and those of others. It seemed that she has chosen lust to be one of the first, inspiring it.

The outfit had the expected result on Bael, he was practically drooling.

Boys, Avaryss thought with a shake of her head.

"You do have good taste, Avaryss," Bael said, reaching out and raising Xen's chin, her features were all but hidden by the cowl, she wore, her yellow Sith eyes shone beneath it.

"Lovely," the boy murmured, he let his finger drift up the girl's face. "Enchanting…I…"

Xen's hand shot out, she seized his fingers and twisted them.

Bael gasped but did not cry out; he glared down at Xen, who glared right back. Synestra Feer's eyes widened but she did not move.

Xen sneered at Bael, his eyes wide with surprise

When she spoke again, her voice was iron.

"I was NOT making an offer, BOY." She spat.

She released his hand. Bael pulled it back quickly, his glare never leaving Xen's face.

Avaryss waited for the tantrum, for Bael to go crying to his mother, surprisingly, it did not come. He shook his wounded hand, and then…

…He smiled wickedly.

"You're spirited," he said, leaning in close to her, Avaryss had needed the Force to hear what he said next.

"I like you."

Avaryss rolled her eyes.

_Really_, she thought.

Bael continued to watch Xen as he returned to his mother's side; Avaryss did not think that she had heard her son's final words. She radiated worry, but Bael shrugged her off.

Clearly the boy was smitten, or at least in lust with their new arrival.

Avaryss was almost tempted to let the confrontation happen, it would be worth watching, worth buying tickets for. Bael was far too confident, or perhaps…arrogant, it would be good to see him…humbled.

Xen will need to be careful, she thought, the former Jedi could take care of herself, but…

It would not do to provoke Synestra's wrath so quickly. If her darling boy was harmed…?

On the other hand, at least Bael had another to lust over, perhaps now he would finally leave her be.

Perhaps she would be able to rest without worrying about finding a killer in her quarters.

She would warn her apprentice about the boy'…nocturnal games, who knew what he would find on a warship. Who knew what he would like to watch her kill given the opportunity.

"Come my friends," Darth Feer said gesturing toward the waiting ship; eager to get underway, their warship was in orbit, the sooner they arrived, the sooner they would get underway...

War awaits.

IOI

Hours later Avaryss found herself in the officer's ready room behind the bridge. Darth Feer was speaking with Lord Marr over the hyper-comm.

Both Sith Lords seemed eager to begin.

"My fleet will arrive at the rally point within the hour, Lord Marr," Feer promised the councilor.

"Then…we shall begin."

"We are waiting," Marr informed him, "The first of our recon ships have returned from the coordinates that Terrog mentioned in his grand announcement.

The masked lord shook his head.

"The traitor is ready for us."

Though Avaryss had not heard the message herself, she did know its contents. Terrog had rejected his place within the Empire, declaring himself above and beyond every other Force user in the galaxy. The message had included coordinates for what he referred to as his…Temple of Life. It was from here that he would rule over the Force, both the light and the dark. Both Jedi and Sith were welcome, so long as they were prepared to bow, and accept their place within the new regime.

Any enemies would be destroyed utterly.

Both Marr and Feer intended to test that theory.

The hologram of Lord Marr changed, showing images that had been recorded during the recon ship's flyby of Terrog's new base.

The images were not promising.

The Temple of Life as Terrog had called it was no mere temple at all, but a space station, a large spherical habitat, with four long pylons rising up from its center. The station itself appeared to be floating on the edge of a nebula, red and orange gasses swirled around it as electrical discharges crackled throughout the cloud.

Avaryss' eyes narrowed.

The stationed looked…familiar. She had seen it somewhere before or maybe pictures of such a place.

The recon ships had not been able to get very close, a small armada now patrolled the space around the nebula, these were Terrog's ships, no doubt, the forces that he had kept to defend his holdings. Lord Feer had observed them leaving their assigned patrol stations while he himself had patrolled the border between his holdings, and Lord Terrog's.

"I did not realize that Terrog had so many ships in his service," Darth Feer said as he inspected the holo.

"He did not before this," Marr's voice over said, "We believe that they belong to Sith that wish to support Terrog's new position, that they are willing to accept his new role as the Will of the Force."

"Then they will die with him," Feer said, he moved closer to the hologram, trying to get a closer look at the station.

"How did Terrog build such a thing without anyone knowing about it?" he asked.

"We do not believe he did," Marr's voice answered, "We believe he discovered it, or rather his agents did. The design suggests it is Rakata in origin."

Avaryss nodded.

Of course, she thought, she had seen sketches and holos taken from the time of Darth Revan and Darth Malak.

The station resembled the one the two rogue Jedi had found back then, the so called Star Forge. There were similarities to this place and that one, but this one appeared different, smaller somehow.

"Do we have any idea what the Rakata used this station for?" Avaryss asked. She had not expected Marr to answer; it had been more for herself than anything else.

"Our analysts believe that this place was a type of medical station, perhaps a place for the Rakata to bring their wounded during their many conquests."

"I see," Feer said with a sneer, "And a medical station would have lab facilities, viral containment; the perfect place for a man like Terrog to build a new bio-weapon."

"That would make sense," Marr agreed, his image once again replacing the image of the Terrog's base. "The station is drawing power from the nebula. It is collecting the electrical discharges; that may work to our advantage when the attack begins."

Feer sat back in his chair, his expression thoughtful.

"Do we have the ships and troops we need to secure such a station? Terrog is not simply going to give up his toy to us now. We will lose a great number of soldiers if we are to make this weapon of his ours."

"Our combined fleets should be a match Terrog's forces, and I've already sent word to Mandalore, he is sending some ships as well. As for securing the station, that is not our goal."

"It isn't," Feer asked.

The councilor shook his head.

"The council has already decided. Once we have dealt with the traitor and acquired a sample of the vaccine he had created. The station itself is to be destroyed; the virus and all research material related to its creation will be erased from existence."

Feer's eyes widened.

"Lord Marr are…are you sure? This virus could be valuable to us. The Jedi…"

"Our forces are already superior to the Jedi, we cannot risk the Republic gaining access to this weapon; it is too dangerous. It threatens the Force itself, and the very fiber of what we are."

"Lord Marr is right, master," Avaryss added, "What happened in the past is all the proof we need of why this…abomination needs to be destroyed."

"Does it," Feer said with a sneer, "What exactly does history say about destroying a weapon that could eliminate the Jedi's connection to the Force? What does history say about us being able to win any possible future war with one swift stroke?"

Avaryss frowned, her master might not agree, but Lord Marr was right.

"History says that the Rakata Empire fell because their people lost their connection to the dark side. What if that was not some natural evolution? What if one of their scientists had created something similar to what Terrog has. What if the virus escaped and they had been unable to cure or stop it."

Avaryss sighed.

"If the Sith Empire is too survive, than this virus must end here. We cannot take the chance of Jedi or any other enemy getting ahold of it. We must protect our connection to the Force at all costs."

The future is ours to take. This weapon might give our enemies hope, we cannot allow that.

"It must die here. It is for both for the Empire, and for the good of all Sith."

The holo of Darth Marr nodded.

"The council has reached the same conclusion that your apprentice has, Lord Feer. The virus _**mus**_t be destroyed. Our power must not be threatened again."

Darth Feer radiated anger, perhaps he had hoped to be one to seize the virus first, maybe even use it to further his own advancement.

He did not give up.

"Has the Emperor been informed of this? Clearly HE would have an opinion?"

"The council has not spoken with the Emperor," Marr informed him, "But we have heard from members of the Emperor's Hand. They have decided to leave this matter up to the council. We shall, and I'm quoting the hand now, _serve as the fist that punishes the traitor for his arrogance_."

"And what of the Emperor's Wrath," Feer said, "He is the Emperor's justice after all. Why is he not here, why is he not leading our fleet?"

"Lord Scourge is busy with other matters," Marr informed him, "This task is for us to deal with, and us alone."

Avaryss considered what she was hearing.

_Lord Scourge_, she thought, she had never heard the Wrath being mentioned by name before. It was said that he was both a pure blood, and had been made immortal by the Emperor himself.

His presence would have gone a long way to ensuring that no one got any ideas about stabbing them in the back.

For that was the real threat here.

Marr and Feer were handling this matter themselves, with few other dark lords in attendance. Lords Ravage, Vengean, and the others had returned to Korriban, to make sure that no one got any ideas about supporting Terrog there. Lords Angral and Malgus had brought their mutual fleets back to the Dromund System, to ensure the loyalty of the other lords.

The fewer actual Sith involved the better, it was less likely that they would betrayed if they kept he number of actual Sith here low.

Opportunity could be a threat if the wrong person embraced it.

Marr turned to Avaryss; she stood at attention as he held her with his cool regard.

"If Thanaton is correct, and you are immune to Terrog's toy, it may fall to you to deal with this matter. If this operation is like others that Terrog has commanded, we should all expect the unexpected."

"I'm ready, my lord," Avaryss said bowing, "Terrog will bleed for what he has done, his betrayal will be dealt with, along with any foolish enough to follow him."

"My apprentice is ready," Feer promised, "As am I. Together we shall sweep away Terrog and his sycophants. Today will be a glorious day for the empire."

"Excuse me, my lord," Avaryss said addressing Lord Marr, "I've heard that Terrog sent his message to the Republic as well, to the Jedi."

"Do we have any idea what their response to all this is? What kind of response they have prepared?"

Marr sighed.

"Before they returned, our recon ships did pick Republic signals; a force is amassing several parsecs away. Valor and hammerhead class warships. The Jedi may be trying to seize the vaccine as well."

"Then we must beat them to it," Feer said.

"It may also be wise to allow the Jedi the first strike against Terrog," Marr suggested, "If they can draw off Terrog's defenses. It will make things easier; infiltrating the station will not be as difficult if the Jedi are keeping Terrog busy."

"And if he destroys several hundred Jedi," Feer said with a chuckle, "all the better."

"Exactly." Marr agreed.

Avaryss considered this, the plan sounded good, but if the cyborg had planned for this, maybe he had also planned for the Empire and the Republic to do his work for him.

The thought that they might enraged her.

She knew of at least one Jedi that would want Terrog's head. The beast girl, Shyra would be the first off of whatever transport that managed to infiltrate Terrog's base, perhaps even Jas Dar Bynn as well…

…and where Jas went, would not Fenn be right behind?

That thought did not please her.

She wanted to a part of this attack; she owed Terrog for what he had done to Fehl, and to make sure that Fehl answered for becoming Terrog's creature.

She did not want Fenn in danger, if he was, and she could do something to prevent it, to protect him.

Should she not try?

Terrog was a threat to them all, surely both the Jedi and the Sith could understand that.

"Has there been any attempt to contact the Republics," she asked.

Both Marr and Feer looked at her.

"Why would we do that, apprentice?" her master asked.

_Carefu_l, the dark voice within her warned.

_You are a very slippery slope here._

She shrugged dismissively. She tried not to think about Fenn, his touch, the sound of his voice.

It doesn't matter, she thought, he doesn't matter.

Yet in a distant corner of her mind another voice spoke up, one that had its opinion, a single word.

Liar.

She tried not to think of him, to focus on the mission and what was good for the empire.

"If we were able to coordinate our attack with theirs, would that not increase the chance of success? We both want the same thing, the virus destroyed and the vaccine in our hands."

"You would deliver the vaccine into the hands of our enemy?' Marr's voice was cold, he was not happy.

"I would seek to preserve the balance, lord councilor," she answered, "At least until we are ready to make an end of it. We will destroy the Jedi in due time."

"Why not use them to aid in our success? Why not use them as our fist, right now?"

Feer chuckled dismissively; clearly he saw no value in the idea.

Lord Marr was…

Well, Avaryss could not say what Lord Marr was in that moment. She could not sense his emotions.

He was too skilled for that.

Was he considering what she had said?

"You must forgive my apprentice, Lord Marr," Feer said, "She has…unusual ideas sometimes."

Marr sighed.

"Perhaps this is the time for unusual ideas, we will see."

"We will speak again when you reach the rally point, Lord Feer."

"As you wish, Lord Marr," her master said with a bow.

"Marr out."

The holographic image vanished, leaving Avaryss alone with her master.

He rose from his chair, and walked up to her.

It took all her self-control not to step back.

He pinned her with his cold gaze, she could feel the fires of ambition burning within him, that and the rage that was the source of power for all Sith.

_Did he suspect the reason she had suggested to Marr was lie? Did he know about Fenn?_

_How could he?_

That was something she hid above all else.

Fen was her greatest secret.

She would be damned before she let anyone take it from her.

If he suspected her reason he did not show it, he nodded, she felt a wave of determination wash over him.

"Ready yourself, my child," he said as he moved passed.

"The time of Feer and Avaryss has come."

She let him walk past, wondering what he had thought of her idea, and what was about to happen.

The Force swirled around them; it clouded all vision of the future.

Anything could happen in the next few hours, anything.

"I'm ready my lord," she promised him.

"For the Empire."


	62. Unusual Strategies

**Chapter 62: Unusual Strategies**

The Mandalorians called this place…The Inferno.

The nebula cloud where Darth Terrog had made his base was in neither Republic nor Imperial space. It existed on fringes of what might be called Mandalorian territory, and was one of several places that had been the launching point for several attempted conquests by the clans over the many centuries. The Inferno nebula had long served the Mandalorians throughout their history of war and conquest. Its radiation masking the presence of attack fleets, while at the same time providing necessary minerals and gases when the warriors needed them, either to enhance their ships or their weapons.

It was unlikely that the children of Mandalore had ever known that there was a station here. Until recently the cloud had covered much of this sector, but all the conflicts in recent years had forced the warriors to beginning mining this area far more than they ever had in the past, the cloud had been shrinking for over a decade and a half, and as it had shrunk, the Rakatan medical station had been revealed again. How it had been swallowed by the nebula in the first place none could say, but now it stood revealed, and was in the hands of Darth Terrog.

He had claimed it as his own, calling it his Temple of Life, the new home of the living Will of the Force.

It was to this place that both his allies and enemies had gathered, either to swear fealty or to try and destroy the dark lord. The stage was set.

All that remained now was the spark to get things moving.

All that remained…was who would make the first move.

The Sith fleet held its position just inside of sensor range. They wanted Terrog to see them, to know the strength that was coming for him. A recon droid was sent in to gather numbers on the enemy fleet and to take readings of the station itself. The radiation in the nebula made things difficult for both communication and sensors, but the droid was able to get close enough to send back some information before it was destroyed.

They had a rough estimate of the stations size. Imperial records from the time of Revan confirmed that the station was likely of Rakata design, and was about half the size of what the Star Forge had been. The droid had not managed to get close enough to scan for any weapons, but it was a safe bet that it had been armed, if not by the builders than certainly by Terrog.

Not that the station needed any weapons, the fleet forming around it was large enough to repel most attacks.

Avaryss counted thirty ships of various classes, most were destroyers or smaller vessels, but she did see at least one dreadnaught. The problem would be the smaller vessels she did not recognize, they were likely mercenaries, but that did not mean that they could be underestimated.

Anything that was unknown, needed to be approached with caution.

The station sat on the very edge of the cloud, its capital ships protecting its vulnerable side, a ring of metallic debris surrounded both the station and the orbiting ships. The debris was too small to hinder any attacking ships, but it could spoil any long range fire from the Sith fleet, that ring would likely have to be either destroyed or simply moved past when the attack began in earnest.

What are you planning Terrog, Avaryss wondered, you have to know you are outnumbered and outgunned, yet you send out an open invitation to come here. You had to know how the Dark Council would respond. You may be crazy, but I never thought you were stupid.

Avaryss shook her head.

There was something they were not seeing here.

She had been standing beside her master when they received a transmission from Darth Terrog, apparently the comms on the station were not affected by the nebula, likely the Rakata had known how to compensate for the interference when they built this place so many millennia ago. Darth Marr had also received the transmission and chose to piggyback his response onto the Terror's systems, so that both he and Feer could share the communication link with the traitor.

The image of Darth Marr shivered and split, Darth Terrog appeared next to him. The cyborg looked as huge and intimidating as ever.

"You are threatening the Will of the Force, Marr," he said crossing his arms over his chest.

"You will withdraw your fleet, NOW!"

If the dark council member was intimidated he did not show it. When he spoke his voice was both calm and cold.

"Terrog of the Sith," he began, "In the name of the Emperor and the dark council, you have been named a rogue Sith and pronounced guilty of high treason against the Empire. You will surrender your weapons and station to us. Do this now and I promise you will be granted a swift and painless execution."

"You have one hour to comply."

Terrog made the laughing sound she remembered from the gathering, it was a creepy now as it had been then.

Clearly he did not think that they were able to carry out their threat.

"I have grown beyond _your_ Empire and _**your**_ council," he informed them, "I have embraced a higher calling now. I stand above the light and the dark. Even the Emperor can no longer dictate terms to me."

Heresy, Avaryss thought.

The Emperor was the greatest of them all.

How dare Terrog think to put himself above him!

"You should tell him that yourself," Marr suggested, "Hearing that might _amuse_ him, at the very least, it may grant you a few extra minutes of life.

"Perhaps I would," Terrog replied, "If he bothered to remove himself from his seclusion.

What little was left of the cyborg's lips twisted, perhaps his version of a frown.

"Our empire has stagnated since the last war. While the Emperor cowers in his fortress, both the dark side and the empire suffers. We need a new direction, Marr; the dark side deserves _**new**_ purpose.

The cyborg radiated with dark satisfaction.

"I am prepared to offer both the Sith and the Jedi both."

Darth Feer reminded silent during the conversation. Avaryss could almost hear the wheels in her master's head turning, waiting for the right opportunity to respond to his rival.

"The fleet is going nowhere Terrog," Marr said flatly, "If we attack; the ships you have protecting your station will not be enough to defend you, between Lord Feer and myself we out number you two to one, and even your collection of sycophants succeed in pushing us back, there is a Republic Fleet at the edge of the system, flanking you, what we do not finish, it is safe to say that **they** will."

"End this now," Marr demanded, "End it and accept your fate."

Terrog's synthetic eyes seemed to glow brighter. Anger radiated off the image of him.

Avaryss could only imagine what that might feel like in person.

"You think me trapped? You are a bigger fool than I took you for, Marr. Allow you to show you the extent of my power. Allow me to show you what happens to those that seek to oppose the living Will of the Force."

Terrog pressed a button on his gauntlet.

Suddenly warnings rang out from the communication's console on _the Terror's_ bridge. Alarms blared.

Darth Terrog's lips twisted again, this time into an almost smile.

"Behold…my power."

Bridge Crewers aboard the Terror began shouting, calling out to the senior officers.

"We have enemy contact."

"One of our picket ships is under attack."

"We are receiving a distress call.

"They are reporting hull breaches on decks four through six!"

Feer spun away from the holo, his eyes found Captain Brandei and his first officer.

"WHAT IS GOING ON," he demanded, "REPORT!"

"The frigate _Shadow_ is under attack, my lord," the Captain responded, "We are seeking to identify the enemy now."

Avaryss blinked.

How had Terrog gotten ships here so fast? The pickets should have picked them up.

"Have we identified the enemy," Brandei shouted to the man on the scanning console.

"How many ships?"

"We aren't detecting any ships, captain," the man answered, "The attackers are small, but extremely numerous. We are counting at least a hundred contacts."

"WHAT ARE THEY?" Feer spat, "BRANDEI, WHAT IS GOING ON?"

The images of Terrog and Marr vanished, replaced by an imperial captain, his eyes were wide and fearful, even from here Avaryss could sense his panic."

"Shadow to all loyal ships, we are under heavy assault. Probe droids have breached our shields and are cutting their way into the hull. We have lost contact with…"

There was a loud breaking sound, the captain turned away from the holo-cams; he drew his sidearm, but…"

Screams filled the background, and what looked like a cloud wrapped around the captain. He coughed and spun back to the holo.

They have released some kind of agent, my lords…we are…"

The man doubled over and wailed.

As they watched his body began to change, to twist in horrible ways, his arms stretched, the bones cracking and reforming, blood leaked from his eyes ears and mouth.

He let out one final wail before spinning away from the camera there was static and a long fatalistic tone.

The bridge of _the Terror_ fell silent.

Both Feer and Avaryss stood there silently, staring at where the image had been. In the distance Avaryss could hear the bridge officers calling out, reporting the end of _the Shadow_ and her crew.

The ship fell out of formation, it was rolling away, out of control, several escape pods had jettisoned only to be caught by the probe droids that cut their way into the frigate.

Avaryss reached out with the Force; even from here she could sense the fate of the crew_._

_It sent a chill down her spine._

Now she understood what had happened, and why Terrog had been so confident in extending his invitation.

_The virus_, she thought with a shudder, _the Fydon virus._

Terrog had armed those probe droids with it. They had been small enough and slow enough to slip through _the Shadow's_ shields. They had cut their way in through the frigate's weak points and released their viral payload.

The crew of _the Shadow_ was gone, mutated or dying.

The images of Marr and Terrog reappeared over the holo tank.

The cyborg radiated with satisfaction.

"As you can see, Marr," he purred, "My followers and I are quite safe from your forces here."

The image shifted again, showing a fleet of probe droids moving against the void of space, there were hundreds of them, perhaps thousands.

"The builders of this station were quite inventive," Terrog's voice rang out over the image, "These droids were used as a means of getting medical supplies to sections of ships that had been cut off by battle damage, their processors designed to find weak spots, and breach them, all so that they could render…aid to those that needed it.

Terrog laughed.

"A few minor modifications have made them the perfect little soldiers; this station has the capability of producing hundreds of new droids every hour. They carry my greatest creation now. They are tools of evolution now. All will soon know them as they spread my gift throughout the galaxy."

Avaryss' eyes narrowed.

Clever, she thought, clever and ruthless.

What she had thought of as a debris cloud floating around the station was nothing of the sort; it was a fleet of Terrog's probe droids, thousands of them, maybe tens of thousands.

If the station produced them there was no limit to how quickly Terrog could deliver his plague? A few hundred probes could infect ships approaching a planet, or stow away aboard and deliver the plague to a planet's surface.

It was cruelly ingenious.

The image of the cyborg returned, he sneered at Lords Marr and Feer.

"I offer you the same term you gave me. You have one hour to withdrawal. Refuse this offer, and my droids will spread my gift among your fleet. The Republic and Jedi have already withdrawn; you will find no help there. Those few ships that escape my gift, will be easy prey for my followers, they will destroy the survivors easily."

Feer snarled and brought his fists down on the comm panel, he glared hatefully at his rival.

"YOU WILL NOT GET AWAY WITH THIS MADNESS, TERROG!"

"WE ARE NOT DONE!"

The cyborg made that laughing sound again.

"You no longer matter, Feer," he said, "I've outgrown you, and your petty desires."

He turned back to the holo of Darth Marr.

"You have one hour, Marr, the Will of the Force has spoken."

The hologram faded.

Darth Marr, Dark Lord of the Sith, and member of the Dark Council was silent, he stood as still as a statue.

"My lord," Darth Feer said, "We cannot let him get away with this. We must smash through his defenses! We will drown in blood, but we will reach the station, we will…"

Marr raised his hand.

Darth Feer fell silent.

The councilor sighed.

"Lord Feer," he said, "I need to contact the council, inform them of what has happened here."

He turned to Avaryss.

"All the apprentices will report to their ships. We will have need of them when the time comes."

"To attack?" Feer asked.

Again Marr ignored him.

"All of the apprentices, Feer," he repeated, "Including your own, I will update you after I've informed the council.

"Marr out."

The image faded.

Darth Feer growled like an angry predator.

He pounded his fist on the holo console.

Damn that man!" he shouted, "Damn Terrog and damn Marr!"

Avaryss said nothing; she stood silently, like a good apprentice.

"What are your orders, my lord?"

Feer hissed and shook his head.

"To your Fury, my child," he said, "We must await the council's wishes."

Avaryss nodded and turned. Once she was off the bridge she would contact her crew, and make sure that they were ready.

What they were going to do however, she could not say.

Even if they could fight their way through the probes, they would lose ships, too many ships. Whole decks would need to be sealed off to prevent infected crewers from stopping the advance. Those ships that made it through would be easy prey for Terrog's gunners.

The Sith fleet would die here, and Terrog's victory would only embolden those Sith that were, for the moment, content to sit on the sideline. Support for the cyborg would swell, his armies would grow, and they would advance with his plague carrying droids as their advance force.

She shook her head.

She feared that even the Emperor would be hard pressed to contain this threat.

We can't retreat, she thought, if we do, Terrog's power will only grow, right now his fleet is contained here; we need to end this matter now.

We need to destroy Terrog utterly, his followers too.

No prisoners.

No mercy.

But how do we do it? She wondered, how?

She could feel the sense of foreboding among the crew, the images of the end of _the Shadow_ had been seen by most of the crew, and those that had not seen it would hear about it soon enough.

She could feel the morale of the men weakening. It sickened her. They were Sith; they were the conquerors of the galaxy.

This could not be how they ended, not at the hands of some cyborg with delusions of grandeur.

It could not end this way.

They needed to do something!

IOI

She returned to the hangar, where her ship waited. She saw Rink outside, checking something by the landing gear.

"Is everyone aboard," she asked.

"Yeah," he said, "I don't suppose you have a plan to get us out of this?"

"This?" she asked.

"I saw the holo from that frigate, nasty end."

Avaryss cursed under her breath.

She suspected that Terrog had allowed the other ships to see that, to spread fear and break morale.

It was a smart move.

Rink chuckled.

"Don't suppose you wanna switch sides?" he asked.

She glared at him.

"No offense meant, boss," he said raising his hands, "I just don't see a way out of this."

Her anger cooled almost immediately.

Rink was not wrong.

She did not see a way out of this, and they had less than forty minutes to comply.

Terrog looked to be holding the winning hand.

She boarded her ship without another word. She passed Holli and Beric, they both looked up at her but she silenced any conversation with a raised hand.

"I do not wish to be disturbed," she ordered, "Come to me only when we have heard from either Lord Marr or Lord Feer."

Avaryss closed the door to her cabin, as soon as she was out of sight of the others she snarled with barely restrained fury.

The dark side rose inside her, feeding off her rage.

What are we going to do?" she thought.

How do we get out of this?

She knelt beside her bed, and closed her eyes; she turned her focus inward, seeking out the dark heart of her power, the full might of the dark side.

As she slipped deeper into the darkness, she was suddenly pulled away. The sensation was so quick that it all but took her breath away.

One moment she was in her quarters and the next…

…She was somewhere else.

_She smelled leather and the musky scent of unwashed alien bodies. _

_She blinked and looked around._

_She was standing in the cockpit of a ship, not imperial, that was clear. No imperial would let their ship get in this condition. Plates were missing from the walls; a small plastic Twi'lek dancing girl shimmied on the top of the command console._

_What? Avaryss thought._

_What is going on?!_

_A young woman sat in the pilot's seat; she was dressed in overalls with a leather jacket draped over her shoulders. _

_Her co-pilot was of an alien species did not recognize. He had cream colored fur, with golden v-shaped markings down his back; his long snout was twisted in a grimace, showing sharp teeth. His violet eyes were narrowed in concentration._

_Smugglers, she thought, but no…_

…_these two were __**not **__smugglers._

_The Force was with them, __**both **__of them. Yet, they did not feel like Sith._

_They were certainly not Jedi; she could feel their nervousness, their desire to be anywhere else._

"_Stay frosty, Moxie," the dark haired captain said._

"_I'm trying," the alien replied, his fur rippling, a sign of nervousness, perhaps._

"_This is beyond insane," he said._

"_We've done this trick before," the girl reminded him._

"_Yeah, with a freighter, Tru," the alien said, "Not a blood Sith dreadnaught!"_

_Avaryss blinked._

_A Sith…?_

_What?!_

_The door hissed behind her. She turned and saw Two Jedi enter._

_Her breath caught in her throat._

_She did not recognize the one on the left, a small female alien; she looked almost human, except for her milk-colored skin and pointed ears. Avaryss would have thought her a child, if not for the power she radiated, the calm._

_This creature was old, she could sense the years on her, no not old…__**ageless.**_

_A Jedi Master, she realized a powerful one._

_Next to her stood the beast girl Shyra Viel, she could feel the girl's hunter instincts, her desire to lunge for her prey._

"_Are we inside the Sith perimeter, yet," the small master said in a sweet musical voice._

"_We just exited hyperspace," the alien said._

"_I hope you are right about this, Master Vey," the captain said._

_The alien smiled._

"_Have faith in the Force, Tru Halcyon," the Jedi said._

_The captain, Tru Halcyon laughed nervously._

"_I lost my faith when the temple fell, master," she said._

_The little Jedi laughed._

"_If that was true, Tru, you would not be here."_

_Shyra growled as she peered out the viewport, beyond it, the void was filled with probe droids moving out of the way._

_Avaryss' eyes widened._

_Terrog's droids!_

_What the?!_

_The two Jedi left the cockpit, Avaryss followed after them floating above them apart from them, hidden from their vision._

_How was this…?_

_The two Jedi entered a small lounge. Jas Dar Bynn sat at a table playing cards with Fenn Shadowstone. Avaryss could feel their connection, the slivery glow whenever they were connected._

"_We are inside the monster's defenses," Vey informed them._

"_Are you both ready?"_

_Jas Dar Bynn lowered his cards and sighed._

"_As ready as I can be," he said._

_The small Jedi master gave him an understanding look._

"_Trust in the Force, my young Padawan," she said._

_Jas laughed._

"_You haven't called me that in a long time."_

"_Old habits," Vey said, "Plus when you get to be my age…"_

"_How old are you again," Fenn asked._

_The master gave him a mock frown._

"_Padawan, surely you know it is rude to ask a woman her age."_

_He blushed._

"_Sorry, master, I was just…"_

_Shyra growled and began to pace._

"_How much longer is this going to take," the beast girl said, "Terrog is so close."_

"_Peace, my student," Vey said, "I understand your desire to face your maker, but…"_

_The master frowned, her eyes narrowed._

"_Master?" Jas Dar Bynn asked._

_The little alien shook her head._

"_We are not alone," she said, "I sense…"_

_It was at that moment that Fenn stood up; he blinked and looked in the direction of Avaryss…_

_He looked right at Avaryss._

"_Keera?"_

_Avaryss' eyes widened._

_SHIT!_

IOI

Avaryss gasped as her eyes shot open. The disorientation she had felt from her connection to Fenn faded quickly, but not quickly enough.

She leapt to her feet; she triggered the door to her cabin, but still almost hit it when it did not open fast enough to let her through.

_The Jedi have done it_, the thought repeated over and over in her head.

_They found a way to breach Terrog's perimeter!_

_Darth Marr had to be told!_

She flew past Holli, the engineer was talking to Taya of all people, how her old ally had gotten here she did not know, but…

"You have a guest my lord," Holli said. "You…"

"NOT NOW," she shouted.

"Avy?" Taya called after her, "What is…?"

NOT NOW!"

She flew to the hyper-comm, and entered in the code that Darth Feer used for his direct line to Lord Marr.

She dropped to a knee and prepared to receive him. The Dark Lord might have been angry with this interruption, but it could not be helped.

The next five seconds passed like an eternity, finally, the image of Darth Marr appeared.

"Lord Avaryss," he said coldly, "What is the meaning of this?"

It was all she could do to keep from babbling, her excitement was so great.

"My lord," she said willing herself to be calm, "I've just senses a disturbance in the Force. I believe that a Jedi strike team has found a way to breach Terrog's defenses; I think they are inside his defensive perimeter right now! "

Marr crossed his arms.

"I see," he said.

Avaryss' eyes widened.

You see, she almost gasped.

_Was that all he was going to say?!_

"We must act quickly, my lord," she said, "This was not some random dream, I know it, the Jedi are almost aboard Terrog's station. We can use this distraction, turn it to our advantage."

She expected him to say that she should have informed her master, or that he would confer with the other council members, that they would consider this information into whatever plan they were hatching.

He said none of those things; his next words surprised her more than anything else.

"I know about the Jedi, Lord Avaryss. Everything is going according to plan."

She blinked.

"You know?"

Marr nodded.

"You are not the only one capable of coming up with unusual strategies, Lord Avaryss."

She blinked.

"You contacted the Jedi?"

"I made an offer of over an encrypted comm channel that the Republic cracked during the last war," he said, "What they chose to do with that information was entirely up them."

Avaryss grinned.

"Some on the council might call that treasonous, my lord."

Marr shrugged.

"It is only treason if we fail, and if we fail, we will likely all be dead."

Avaryss nodded.

He did make a good point.

Marr stood straighter.

"Now you have your own part to play," he informed her, "Are you aboard your ship?"

"I am."

"Good," he said with a nod.

"Are you ready to risk your life for the Empire, Lord Avaryss?"

"I'm ready, Lord Councilor," she said.

"Command me."

"Terrog wanted you to join him, back during his attack on the Feer estate; that is what it said in your report, and he offered you the chance to join him?"

"He did."

"Excellent," Marr said gesturing to someone off the screen, a sequence of numbers appeared on the holo table.

"I have just sent you the override code to the hangar where your ship is docked. You will use it to flee your master's ship, and make for Terrog's station. You will broadcast on an open channel that you wish to accept Terrog's offer, you wish to join him, and your beloved."

Avaryss shuddered.

The thought of Fehl and Fenn being in the same place made her nervousness.

Yet, Marr was not wrong, she realized, her beloved **was** on that station.

_It just wasn't Fehl, not anymore!_

"Lord Feer will not understand this, my lord," she said.

"I will inform him of the plan after you are aboard Terrog's station and engaging his forces. Your mission is to disable the probe droid screen, succeed, and our fleet will be free to do the rest."

Avaryss grinned.

"You are putting a lot of trust in me, Lord Councilor."

"I trust your ambition, Lord Avaryss. Am I wrong to do so?"

"Not at all, my lord," she said.

"Not at all."

She only just managed to suppress a girlish giggle.

She hated to admit it but she liked this plan.

_It was insane, desperate, and utterly mad!_

She _**loved**_ it!

"If you fail," Marr reminded her, "If Terrog decides not to accept your coming; you and your crew will be attacked by his probes. Your people will be infected by the virus, and you will need to destroy them, and even if you survive you will find succor on neither side. You will be considered a traitor to both. Do you understand?"

She nodded.

There was a risk, but the reward if she succeeded?

She smiled.

No risk, no reward.

"I understand, my lord, and yet my duty is clear."

Marr nodded.

"Brave girl," he said, "If we both survive this crisis, we shall need to speak privately. The Empire needs to change as it moves forward, leaders will be needed. I have already approached a few."

She nodded again.

She was not sure what he was offering, but she was intrigued.

Leaders?

She remembered her vision of herself on the throne? Was this how that destiny began?

Was supporting Marr the smart move?

Was it the right move?

There was only one way to find out.

_Something __**was **__happening,_ she knew.

If she survived, she was most interested to see where this all would go.

"I will leave immediately, my lord. For the Emperor and dark council..."

She stood at attention raised her fist.

For Sith Order! Long live the Empire!"

"Long live the Empire, Lord Avaryss, may the Force serve you well."

"May it serve you well, lord councilor."

Marr vanished without another word, Avaryss made for the bridge.

There was no time to waste.

"Avy?"

She looked up and smiled at Taya.

"What are you doing here?' she asked.

"Lord Goss sent me over with a message for Lord Feer, when I saw your ship, I thought I would stop in and say hello."

Avaryss laughed.

Only Taya would think to stop and chat while they were in the middle of a crisis, but perhaps it was a blessing in disguise.

"Rink," she called out, "Prepare for lift off, we have our orders."

"What is going on, boss," he asked from the pilot's seat.

"The higher ups finally have a plan?"

"They do," she said, "The same plan that you suggested."

Her eyes twinkled with mischief.

"We are about to switch sides."

Both Rink and Taya's eyes widened.

"Ah…boss," Rink said, "You know that I was kidding about that right?"

"Avy," Taya said, her eyes as wide as saucers, "You can't mean to…"

Avaryss laughed.

"Last chance, Tay," she said, "You can stay here and play it safe, or take the chance and be either a hero or a traitor."

The blonde swallowed hard, she looked around quickly, perhaps looking for an escape route.

Finally, she laughed nervously.

"No risk, no reward," she said.

Her old friend smiled.

Exactly.

"There is a code inside the hyper-comm," she informed Rink, "It will open the hangar for us, do not respond to hangar control, when we are clear open a channel to the station. I need to let Terrog know of our intentions to join him."

"We are joining Terrog?"

Avaryss turned to find Beric and Xen standing before her, both soldier and Sith apprentice looked confused.

"Marr has ordered me to do this. We need to breach the stations defenses. A Jedi strike team is already inside the perimeter, we must be there, and prepared to take advantage."

Beric nodded.

"We're going to have to time this right," he said, "It is insane, but…"

"Are we sure the Jedi are there?" Xen asked, "How does Lord Marr know this."

"I saw it," Avaryss said, "There was a ship; a smuggler vessel of some type, there was a girl and an alien at the helm. I heard the name Tru…something."

Xen grinned.

"It is the True Heart, it has to be," she said, "The pilot was Tru Halcyon, and the alien you saw was Mox Devrn'alya her Bothan co-pilot."

"You know these people?" Avaryss asked.

Xen grinned.

"Of course I do, they were Padawan Pack, like me. Mox and Tru left the order, turned to smuggling supplies for the order."

The Sith apprentice's eyes flashed hungrily.

"I wonder if Fenn is with them. It would be nice to see my old friends again, and kill them for their failures to save me from Master Sy."

Avaryss frowned.

"Terrog comes first, Xen," she warned the girl, "Can I trust you not to lose control?"

The girl bowed.

"You are my master; I would follow you into the darkest hell."

"You can trust me."

Avaryss snorted.

They would see.

"Get us out of here, Rink," she ordered.

"The chrono is ticking.

The pilot powered up the engines, he spun the ship around quickly; he turned off the comm when the hangar control tried to hail them.

Here we go, Avaryss thought.

One last mission.

She smiled gamely.

For the Empire.


	63. And Her Name was Death

**Chapter 63: And Her Name was Death**

"**Talk to me Holli, things are getting a little hot up here!"**

"**Shields down to forty two percent; I'm transferring power from non-essential systems, redirecting it all into the aft-shields. That should…"**

**KA-WHOMP!**

The interceptor bucked beneath their feet, Avaryss was forced to grab onto the back of Rink's chair to keep from being tossed against the bulkhead.

"**What was **_**that?!"**_ Rink shouted.

Holli's response came back garbled, over the loud buzzing static, it was almost impossible to hear.

"We just lost our port solar array," she informed them.

Rink cursed loudly.

"**Damn it,"** he shouted**," Stop blowing off parts of **_**my**_** ship!"**

"**Shields down to thirty six percent! I have a **_**fire**_** back here,"** Holli added, "Two-Vee **help** me, we got it get this under control."

The ship bucked again as another blaster bolt hit, then another and another. Alarms wailed in the cockpit.

Avaryss' grip tightened on the back of the captain's chair, Rink's hands flew over the console, the ship spun and juked as it shot away from the Sith fleet and towards Darth Terrog's station, his so-called Temple of Life.

They were hit again, and once more Avaryss was almost thrown down.

A Sith curse escaped her lips.

What did Marr think he was doing?! If he was trying to sell her so-called _defection_ to Terrog's side, he was doing an _**incredible**_ job. No one would doubt that the Sith Fighters were trying to destroy them. Still…

She frowned.

…If it wasn't for Rink's skill as a pilot, they likely _**would**_ have been destroyed already. Ever since they had blasted out of _The Terror's_ hangar bay, they had been under attack; a full squadron of Sith fighters had broken off from the fleet and were in pursuit.

Those fighters had all launched from the Terror.

Darth Feer was trying to kill them.

The realization almost made the young Sith want to scream.

_I guess no one has told my master yet, well…Marr said he would only inform Lord Feer after we were on the station._

**How lovely,** she thought, _thanks Lord Marr._

She dared a look outside the viewport. She could make out the enemy fleet, and the ring of probe droids that surrounded the ancient Rakatan station.

She had done as Marr had asked, and broadcast her decision to join Terrog, on an open channel. No sooner had those words left her mouth; the attack had come down on her in earnest.

She stared out at the field of probe droids, a virtual mine field of viral death.

If Darth Terrog refused to accept her, if he believed her coming over was a trap…"

None of them would be around long enough to care….one way, or the other.

The ship shook again as Rink sent her into a spinning dive, two concussion missiles shot past and exploded. The gentle thrum of the engines turned into an angry whine

She said nothing to Rink. The pilot had enough to worry about right now.

"Hold it together, baby," he murmured softly.

"Hold it together for daddy."

They continued to rush towards Terrog's defensive perimeter.

Hopefully the dark lord would accept her offer and let them pass by unmolested.

If he did not…?

Well they would be too dead to care.

Avaryss stumbled over to the communications console. Was it possible that Terrog had not received her message? The nebula might have blocked it, if that was the case…

She pressed the send button, slipping on a headset; she did not have time for a full holographic communication.

"This is incoming Interceptor to Terrog controlled station. We are taking heavy fire, and request safe passage and immediate clearance to land. This is Avaryss of the Sith. I seek an audience with Lord Terrog. My lord, if you can hear me, know that I _**accept**_ your offer. You sent your apprentice to me on Dromund Kaas; He said you saw potential in me. I submit myself to your teachings. I humbly request safe passage and an audience. Repeat, this is…

The ship shook as it was struck again, Avaryss was almost flung off her feet.

Did anyone hear that? She wondered.

Did it make a whit of difference?

She looked up at Taya; her old friend was radiating nervousness. Avaryss suspect that she had come to regret her decision to follow her old ally out here.

It was a mistake that none of them would likely have to live with.

Taya laughed fatalistically.

"Well…I've heard being killed in a spaceship explosion is not the worst way to go," she said, "You are here one second, gone the next."

The blonde girl shrugged.

"It…it doesn't' sound that bad."

Avaryss' eyes narrowed, the dark side rumbled through her head like a distant storm.

_Sentiment,_ it whispered.

_Weakness._

_**Pathetic!**_

Any compassion that Avaryss might have felt was all tied up in her anger. She did not want it to end this way, not after everything she had seen and done in the last few months.

I'm so close now.

It cannot end this way.

_**It cannot!**_

In spite of his evasive maneuvers, Rink still managed to get them to the defensive perimeter that Lord Terrog's forces had set up.

As they drew closer, Avaryss could just start to make out the probed droids that made up the station's defensive screen, black spidery looking things with antenna and too many arms. When Avaryss closed her eyes, she could almost see the probes' optics powering up. She could sense their approach, the living death they carried stood out against the void like the light from a candle.

Twenty of the droids broke off from the main group; they sped towards the damaged interceptor, and the ships pursuing it.

_Here we go_, Avaryss thought.

_Moment of truth._

"Come on Terrog," she murmured.

_Take the bait._

_Take the bloody bait!_

She closed her eyes and reached out with the Force, trying to sense what would happen next.

Time slowed down, and in that moment she was assaulted by so many possible futures.

_The probes attacked them, and they were destroyed._

_The Sith fighters blasts destroyed them._

_They made it through the droids only to explode from the damage they had taken getting here._

They had…

"BOSS! LOOK!"

Avaryss opened her eyes as Terrog's weaponized probes flew past them!

She did not need to look at the scanners to know that their pursuers were trying to fall back, to retreat, and make it back to the fleet. She could sense the pilots; terror as they tried to back off. She felt their panic as the probes latched onto several of those ships, felt the pilot's agony as the probes delivered their viral gift into the fighter's cockpits.

The sensation made her shudder.

The pain was exquisite.

Only two fighters managed to escape, she felt the relief from those men, relief that quickly turned to terror as they realized what Darth Feer would do to them for failing to stop his apprentice from reaching her destination.

Even now she could feel her master's presence. She could feel his attempt to get into her head, to commune through the Force as they had in the past.

She kept her mental shields up; she could not risk Terrog picking up on what was really going on.

_I'm sorry master, but you must remain in the dark…for now._

All that Terrog could be allowed to sense right now was both Darth Feer's anger, and his apprentice's desire to reach the station. She did her best to hide any thought or feeling that might hint at their actual mission. She did not know if Terrog could sense the subtleties within the Force.

If the Emperor's will was with them, he would not be able to.

_If this works,_ she thought, _everyone that has fallen because of Terrog's mad schemes would be avenged, including the brave pilots that just died to sell this ruse._

Distantly she felt shame for what had happened. These pilots had been loyal sons and daughters of the empire, and their bravery had been manipulated by Darth Marr, used to sell his story, his plan that she was trying to defect to their enemy.

_It is the duty of the lesser to serve the greater,_ the darkness whispered within her.

The strong _**are **_served, that is the way of the Sith.

She nodded.

Yes, she thought, it is the way, but it is also the way to seek vengeance for those that died in the service of the Empire.

Avaryss would avenge those pilots, just as she would avenge herself.

Terrog would die screaming.

No longer under attack Rink made straight for the station; the probes moved out of the way for the damaged ship. Rink shook his head as six of the probes flew in front of them, forming a wedge to see them safely through.

"Looks like we have an escort," he said with a nervous laugh.

The pilot shook his head.

"I think we are okay now. I have a good feeling about this."

Taya laughed nervously, Avaryss could feel her relief, that and her desire to pull her old friend into an embrace and a passionate kiss.

"Looks like we won," Taya said, "We have a victory."

Avaryss sighed.

They had achieved an objective.

It was not a victory.

The comm panel in front of Rink blinked red. He pressed one of the buttons; they were receiving an incoming call.

"This is Temple control to incoming Interceptor, welcome apprentice; The Will of the Force is expecting you." A feminine voice said over the comm.

Avaryss resisted the urge to sneer.

_The Will of the Force indeed._

_They would just see what title Terrog was worthy of when this was all over._

For now, though, she needed to play nice.

"This is Avaryss, thanks for the assist Temple control."

The Terrog loyalist laughed.

"Set course two point seven, our droids will guide you into hangar six. A welcoming party is already on their way, and will escort you to the master."

There was a brief pause.

"He is most excited to meet you, and begin your…evolution."

The transmission ended.

Avaryss frowned as she thought about what she had heard.

Her _evolution?_

So Terrog already had ideas about how he could…improve her.

He was in for a big surprise.

From what she had heard over the comm, the Jedi had not reached the station yet, as soon as they began their attack, she would be ready to begin hers, to make use of the distraction.

_You must not give into Terrog's desires._

The voice that whispered in her ear did not sound like the one she was used to hearing. The dark side would often speak to her, but this did not sound the same, the voice was…different.

It was colder, and yet…somehow…familiar.

_Your blood is pure, it must remain so. Terrog's work does not improve, it profanes. You are still young; you must continue to grow on your own. You must come into your own without interference._

_Destroy the traitor._

_Destroy them all._

_Your line must continue._

_It must not end with you._

Avaryss nodded.

The future was always in motion. She could not say what it held at that moment, before great events there was always uncertainty, the Force shifting quickly with even the smallest choice, the minutest detail.

She would need to be ready.

What was about to happen was beyond any mere task her master had assigned.

She needed to remain true to the goal.

She needed to trust in the dark side.

They flew past Terrog's fleet, the ships that were both his, and those of his sycophants. None tried to stop their advance, none tried to hinder them in anyway.

So far so good, she thought.

Marr's plan was working.

She checked her chrono. They only had about twenty minutes until Terrog's deadline. They needed to be on the station, and mission underway before that happened. They would keep Darth Terrog and his forces distracted.

They needed to give the fleet time, and the chance to strike at this place directly, if they did that, all else would fall into place.

As they approached the station, Avaryss was once again taken aback by how large it was. The information section claimed that it was about half the size that the Star Forge had been, but that did not mean that it was still not a massive.

As they drew closer, she could sense the growing strength of the dark side. The station radiated with it, it was a heady sensation; it almost made her sway where she stood.

It was not what she had come to expect from a medical station, a place of healing.

Taya felt it too, her old ally giggled.

"I can feel why the traitor feels so comfortable here," the blonde said smiling.

"This place feels…intoxicating."

"Yes," Avaryss agreed.

"It will be a shame to destroy it."

She watched as they drew closer, at first she had thought they would be docking at an airlock; the hangar bays along the stations diameter did not seem large enough to accommodate her ship. She quickly learned that was a falsity, the station's size was staggering.

The hangar that they had been directed to could have fit two interceptor class vessels easily and still had room for a row of Starfighters.

It was an impressive sight to be sure.

As Avaryss was starting to turn away, to summon the rest of her crew, there was a loud bang from the direction of the engineering compartment. It was followed by Holli shouting, and a string of very colorful curses.

_Great,_ Avaryss thought

_What now?!_

"We just lost sub-light engines," Rink informed her, "But it won't be a problem, I can bring her in on repulsor lifts, we have enough forward momentum."

The damaged interceptor glided into the hangar, Rink fired the repulsor lifts and brought the ship around, the docking thrusters still worked well enough that they were able to land safely.

There was one final soft bump, and they were down.

Avaryss let out a breath that she had not even realized that she had been holding.

They had reached Terrog's station.

Now the next stage of the plan could begin.

She and Taya left the bridge, sending out word for the rest of the crew to gather. They did not have much time; Terrog's welcoming party would be there shortly.

They needed to have a plan in place before they arrived.

IOI

"So," Holli began, "Do you want the good news or the bad news, my lord?"

The engineer's face was more dirty than usual, the soot and smoke from the fire she and two-Vee had put out had left her a bit of a mess. Her eyes shifted color quickly, from blue to green, to red. It was likely a sign of nervousness, the changeling's equivalent of a nervous twitch.

Bad and good news, she thought the latter was unexpected considering where they were.

Avaryss smirked.

They were on mission, bad news seemed appropriate, better to face it head on.

"What is the bad news?" she asked.

"The sub-light motivator has been fried. The ship is not going anywhere without that."

Voices filled the meeting room, some angry, some on the verge of despair, Avaryss stopped both with a raised hand, now was not the time for weakness.

They still had a mission to complete, even if this turned out to be a one way trip.

"What is the good news," Taya asked, "If there really is any?"

Ensign Holli smiled.

"The good news is that I have a spare motivator in storage. It will take some time to install though."

Avaryss nodded.

So they were not trapped here after all, good.

"How much time do you need to install it?" Beric asked.

Holli frowned.

"An hour maybe two, if I get to work on it right now and am uninterrupted."

Avaryss shook her head.

"I'm likely going to need you to help shut down Terrog's probe droids. You skills are necessary for the completion of this mission."

"We will have to find another ship then," Holli said, "This one isn't going anywhere."

Avaryss cursed under her breath.

She did not want to lose her ship. It had become a home of sorts over the last few months.

Of course, if they failed it would not matter would it?

They would all be dead.

"You can take Holli with you, boss, it will be alright."

Rink smiled broadly.

"I can get the ship up and running."

Everyone on the crew looked at him, the pilot's cocky grin faded.

"What?" he asked.

"What is with all the looks?"

Holli laughed.

"You are going to replace the motivator?" she asked.

"Yeah, I…"

"You?"

Rink snorted, he sounded almost insulted.

"Just because I've gone legit since joining the Empire doesn't mean that I've forgotten my past."

He turned to Avaryss.

"Sub-light motivators were worth a lot of credits on Nar Shadda, boss. I use to strip the things out of ships in twenty minutes back home."

He turned back to Holli.

"Yeah, I can install your motivator, Holli girl. Don't think that I can't."

The engineer gave him a dubious look, clearly she was not convinced.

"What pressure do the motivator's couplings have to be at for it to function during a long deep space flight? She asked.

"Four point seven," he answered, "a ship like this can handle four point nine, but why push it if you don't have to."

Avaryss looked at Holli; she gave the changeling an arched look.

Holli sniffed.

"It is four point six, actually," she said shaking her head.

She turned to Avaryss.

"I think he can do it…maybe."

The Sith nodded.

"Holli will go with us, Rink will get the motivator replaced, and 2V-R9 will help you." She said.

"Of course master," the servant droid said, "Happy to serve, and not be left in pieces, all hail the Empire."

She looked at the pilot.

"Work quickly; this ship is our way out of this place when all is done."

It will be done, boss," Rink promised.

"Piece of cake."

"See that it is, Mister Rink."

"I'm going to need someone to watch my back, though," he said, "When the bad guys figure out what we're doing, things could turn ugly real quick."

"Lieutenant Lylos and HK Sigma 3 will remain behind to cover you."

Beric looked at her.

"Are you sure about this, my lord?" he asked.

"The ship needs to be kept safe," she reminded him.

"We will be fine."

HK made that clearing his throat sound.

"Query: Master? How can you even think about going into wanton slaughter and not want to include me? Have I failed you in some way?"

"Not at all, my friend," she replied, "when they realize what is going on, our enemies will try to destroy our ship, they will be rushing headlong into this hangar, thinking to overwhelm this position with sheer numbers.

Avaryss smiled.

"All the Meatbags you want to kill will be coming to you. You will not need to follow me, they will practically be throwing themselves on your weapons, and while you are destroying them, you are serving my will, protecting my ship and slaying my enemies. That is your function, yes?"

HK fell silent, digesting what he had heard.

"Statement: I find your logic acceptable, master. I will slay any who approach without your leave. The Meatbag soldier and the Meatbag fool pilot will be kept safe.

Both Beric and Rink looked at the droid.

"Meatbag soldier?"

Fool pilot? Heeeey!"

Avaryss smiled.

"Do not try and kill each other while I'm gone," she ordered.

"I should be staying too, master." Quenya offered.

Avaryss looked at the Devish.

"Nothing against Lieutenant Lylos or your droid, but you will be needing a Force user if Terrog attacks this ship. The traitor may be sending his own Sith. Rink and Lylos could be overwhelmed. My new powers may be proving most useful, if that happens."

"And what new powers might those be," she asked.

Quenya smiled.

"I will be showing you, when Lord Terrog's welcoming party arrives."

There came a beep from up front, towards the cockpit.

It was the ship's proximity alarm, people were approaching.

Terrog's welcoming committee had arrived.

Avaryss straightened her hooded cloak, she checked her combat suit over one last time before they begun."

"Rink…get to work on the ship," she ordered.

"The rest of you, follow me," she led them down the corridor towards the boarding ramp.

_This is it,_ she thought.

_And here we go. _

She walked beside Beric; she could feel her brother's concern, his worry for her safety.

It was sweet, but unnecessary.

They needed to do, what they needed to do.

"If I should not return," she murmured, "You know what to do."

He nodded grimly.

She had prepared a message for him after her battle with Sy Dar Bynn's master. Her near death during that fight had caused her to reevaluate some things, make…preparations should something go amiss.

Beric had seen the message, he might not have liked it, but he understood why she had composed it.

"I know," he agreed," but that does not mean that I don't want you to come back. I would miss you sis if you were gone."

He gave her a sad smile.

"It is the destiny of soldiers to lose those they care about."

"I suppose it is," she agreed, "Just not yet."

He nodded his expression one of both worry and brotherly love.

"Yeah, not yet."

IOI

As the boarding ramp lowered, they were all assaulted by the smell of the alien station, a stench that was a mix of both medicine and decay.

Avaryss wrinkled her nose. She had expected for this place to smell like a medical bay, the antiseptic smell that seemed to get everywhere, even when you had only stopped for a few moments.

This station…did not smell like that.

It was akin to what she had gotten used to on the battlefield. Decay mixed with whatever supplies the med droids used to try and aid the wounded. The hangar itself was made of a strange dark-copper-colored metal, with white glowing light panels built into the floor.

Along each wall stood four bronze colored alien statues, kneeling creatures with long conic shaped heads and eye stalks. All were clad in armor, and all wielded what looked to her like some form of light pike.

The Rakata, she presumed.

There had been a time, many millennia ago, that the Rakata and their so called Infinite Empire had been the growing power in the universe. They had been the Sith of their time, one of the first truly space faring races, enforcing their will through the might of their technology and the dark side of the Force. To her knowledge, only the Sith people had managed to resist them, only their pure blood ancestors had stopped the tide of the invaders. It would be many centuries later that the Dark Jedi exiles would make sense of what the Rakata had left behind, and started forming an empire of their own.

Yes, the Rakata had been a power, but then…for some reason, the Rakata lost everything. Their connection to the Force was severed, and their empire fell.

History was not really sure why, and few records remained of that bygone era. Occasionally, Rakata technology or monuments were discovered on this world or that, but since the time of the Star Forge, she had heard nothing about any significant find with military applications had been discovered.

Until now.

She looked around, taking in her surroundings. If this was a medical station like their agents thought, she was surprised to find warrior statues. Wouldn't the Rakata have chosen something less…authoritarian to decorate such a place? The Sith certainly did not pay tribute to their conquests at their medical stations.

What would be the point?

The hatch at the end of the landing bay opened, a company of twelve soldiers entered, led by a woman in black and red armor.

Avaryss could sense the Force in this person, the connection seemed…normal. Which meant this was one of Terrog's recent converts, not one his apprentices. The soldiers seemed normal as well; they did not feel like the monstrous…things that had attacked the Feer estate.

Avaryss smiled and went down the ramp to meet these new arrivals, her crew followed after her. She could sense their feelings, the jittery excitement that all felt before going into battle.

And still…nothing from the Jedi, she thought with a shake of her head. Perhaps Marr's plan was not going as well as he had hoped.

Perhaps the Jedi were already dead.

_They aren't_, the dark voice within her whispered, _you would know if Fenn was dead, you would feel it in your bones._

_He was alive, and probably his friends too. They were likely up to something, perhaps Master Jas had a plan, but what was it?_

_What could it possibly be?_

The leader of the welcoming party waved to her as she approached. For this meeting Avaryss had left her battle helmet and mask behind, though she did wear the bracer that had come with it. She did not need the helmet to use it as a weapon if she needed to.

Part of her had hoped that either Fehl or Terrog would have been among the ones to greet her that would have made things easier.

They are smarter than I thought. Terrog took the bait, but only so far.

Lucky him.

"Well, isn't this a surprise," the group's leader said when she finally got a look at Avaryss and her crew. She was a young woman, about Avaryss' age, perhaps little older, blonde haired and blue eyes, but with a nasty scar running down the left side of her face.

She grinned at Avaryss, an ugly thing what with the scar and all.

"Hello there, Farm girl," the other Sith said, "It has been some time."

Hearing her old nickname gave Avaryss pause.

Farm Girl?

"Do I know you?" she asked the other Sith.

The girl smiled.

The names Olanna, we met back on Fury 9. I was one of the squad leaders that were serving there when you arrived."

Avaryss thought back, using the Force to enhance her memory.

She smiled.

"Ah yes," she purred, "I remember now. You were one Bryden's friends. You led the training group that always got picked to train with us."

Olanna nodded.

"Bryden could be an ass, but he knew what he wanted and how to get it out of other people."

She gave Avaryss a sly look.

"So…did you ever let him up your loading ramp? He seemed pretty obsessed with you back then."

Avaryss' fingers clenched into a fist.

Yes, she remembered Bryden, and his obsession. He had expected her to surrender to him because he was, at the time, stronger than her. When she resisted, when she did not give into his charms he had tried to kill her, motivated as much by his own petty desires as he was by Darth Feer's promises to rise him up if he succeeded.

"Bryden and I were never close," she replied, "I was focused on my studies at the time, and had no time for such…distractions."

"I'm surprised to hear that. He was never the one to take no for an answer."

"No he wasn't," Avaryss agreed.

_Which is why I killed him._

Of course, she did not tell her old classmate that.

She wanted to keep things cordial, at least for a few moments more.

"Looks like we're on the same side now," the other girl said, "Master Terrog told us to bring you to the lab straight away; he will meet with you as soon as he had dealt with the enemy ships outside. The traitors don't stand a chance against the Sith fleet."

_Those enemy ships __**are **__the Sith fleet_, Avaryss thought.

_The only traitors in here are you and your allies._

Olanna was just starting to natter on about her life after Fury 9 when the alarms first went off. Avaryss tilted her head and reached out with the Force. The aura of the dark side was powerful here, but it did not entirely eclipse the light that had found its way onto the station.

The deck plate rumbled underneath them.

"What was that," Olanna said looking around, she turned to two of her soldiers.

"Castin, Trell go find out what is going on, what is up with that alert?"

"Oh that won't be necessary," Avaryss informed them with a wicked smile.

Olanna gave her a confused look.

"Huh?"

"It has been a pleasure seeing you again, Olanna," the young Sith said warmly, "I would say that we should do this again, but…"

What are you talking about Farm Girl?"

Avaryss smirked.

"Good bye Olanna, and when you Bryden, tell him hello."

What are you…?"

The traitor did not get the chance to finish her sentence.

Avaryss activated her lightsaber the blade up her sleeve, hidden until that moment. The weapon had been less than a centimeter from Olanna's rib cage when the blade emerged…emerged and punched through her chest, piercing her heart.

Olanna gasped and looked down; seeing the crimson blade buried up to the hilt in her chest.

"Wha…?"

She fell without another word, not really understanding what had happened and what was going on.

Avaryss and her allies drew their weapons and struck at Terrog's soldiers. The escort troops had not been prepared for battle, much less to fight four Sith, an HK droid a changeling and an Imperial commando, they all died swiftly, not a single one reached the alarm. Beric and HK targeted the security cameras, both in the hangar and outside of it.

She could not say that they still had the element of surprise, but for the moment they had secured the hangar.

The Purging of Terrog's station had begun.

No survivors.

No mercy.

She looked down at the slain former squad leader. Olanna had never done her any harm personally, she had been shutta, just like her fellow squad leaders, but she had been nothing special.

Now that she was dead, Avaryss felt…a little more free.

Another person from her past was gone, another person that had known her before Avaryss.

Destroy the past, so that you can embrace the future.

Master Adaz had taught her that.

It was one many of his lessons that remained relevant today.

"We need to secure this hangar," she said as she deactivated her lightsaber. "Beric deploy some of the sentry guns from our stores, we can use them to funnel any would be attackers into a kill box. Holli…find me a computer terminal; see if you can download the schematics for this place, if we are going to find the controls to those probes outside; we will need a map."

"And I will be providing us with reinforcements, my master," Quenya said smiling, "With your leave of course."

Avaryss blinked.

Reinforcements?

She was not sure what the Devish meant exactly.

"Proceed, apprentice."

Quenya nodded.

"As you will, master."

The Devish reached out with both her hands and Force. She closed her eyes and began to murmur, Avaryss did not recognize the language, probably something from Devaron…maybe.

"All my life," Quenya whispered, "My whole life I've been a slave to the dead. Ancestors whose accomplishments haunted my very steps, ghosts of the past being more great than I could have ever hope to be. My Masters were being no better, men who could only say how weak I was, how I was being a disgrace to the name of Sai Malloc."

The dark side rose up and began to sing, the melody was a beautiful as it was terrible.

Quenya opened her eyes they blazed with green light.

"Death is not being the end, it is the being the beginning, my beginning! I will never be a slave to the dead again. The dead are being mine now, they are being my slaves! They will be the ones serving for my glory, my power!"

She raised her hands overhead.

"ARISE MY PUPPETS! YOY ARE BEING CALLED TO SERVE!"

"ARISE!"

As one the bodies of the slain escort troopers began to twitch. Olanna's body spasmed as she sat up, and looked around with dead eyes.

Avaryss took a step back as the men and women they had slain stood up, or at least tried to, one or two had lost a leg during the fight.

Quenya smirked as the bodies she had raised stumbled over and picked up their weapons, picked them up and began taking defensive positions around the ship.

Quenya nodded, pleased with herself. She looked exhausted, but...

Avaryss shook her head.

She had no idea that Quenya had known how to do that?

"Where did you learn that?" she asked.

"I was having some time to read while you were in quarantine," she confessed, "There were being some very interesting Sith texts in the Citadel on Dromund Kaas, and the librarian had such a weak mind.

Te Devish smirked.

"It is amazing that every Sith on the planet is not helping themselves to those archives."

Avaryss nodded, this was…unexpected, but useful none the less.

Quenya had grown since they had met outside that Jedi safe house.

No one could doubt her allegiance to the Sith now.

"So you are a necro-path," Taya said, "I've heard of your kind, but I've never seen one until now."

Quenya laughed.

"A necro-path? That is not being my name, but it does…does…yes…"

Quenya turned to her giving her a toothy predator's grin.

"Quenya Sai Malloc is being no more. I am being Necris now. I am Necris, apprentice to Lord Avaryss."

She bowed before her master.

"My power and my puppets are being at your service, my lord."

Avaryss nodded.

Necris, she thought.

The dark side had rewarded her with a cunning new servant, one now truly committed to the Sith.

"You will stay here and protect the ship, Necris, as we discussed.

"I will be being done, my lord."

Avaryss turned back to the rest of her followers.

"Holli, we need that map now."

"Finding it now, my lord," the engineer promised. Her data pad blinked as she plugged into one of the station's computer terminals.

The young Sith nodded. Everything was falling into place.

Today, House Terrog would fall, and House Avaryss would rise.

Everything they had faced up to this point had prepared them for this, and when it was done, there would be one constant, one undeniable fact.

Avaryss would rule.

Let all in the Empire recognize that, her time was now.

Avaryss would rule.


	64. Bloodlust

**Chapter 64: Bloodlust**

"I've found something, my lord."

Avaryss glanced over Holli's shoulder as the hologram she had brought up hovered over her holo-pad. It had not taken the engineer long to find the floor plan for this station Now she found herself looking at a cross section of this place, showing both the outer shell and the various levels that made up the inside.

This was going to take some work, she realized. Whatever the Rakata had been thinking when they designed this place, it was clear that they had not ease of movement in mind.

The young Sith shook her head...

…This station was a maze.

The bulk of the station's central sphere was hollow, the work stations and living spaces were separated from each other by a series of balconies and catwalks. She could not guess the reason for such an odd design. From what she was seeing here, there were dozens possibly hundreds of different ramps and catwalks leading to the station's various locations.

She was not sure how Holli made sense of any of it, just looking at it made her head throb.

We don't have time for this, she knew, the deadline for the Sith fleet was approaching. Avaryss hoped that the Jedi would keep Terrog distracted enough that he did not trigger the droids to attack the fleet, but if she was wrong…?

No, they needed to do **something;** the fleet did not have much time left.

"Give me some good news, Holli," she said, "A room labeled probe droid control would be nice."

The Changeling laughed.

"That would be nice, wouldn't it? Unfortunately, we are not that lucky. I've brought up everything that I could find, brought up every possible query I could think of in trying to find the control systems for the droids outside."

The engineer shook her head.

"I've been able to identify two possible areas of interest. Emperor willing, these should lead us to what we need."

Holli typed the keys on the pad.

Two small sections of the hologram turned red and began to blink.

"I believe that these two locations are our best bet. The first one here is for synthetic modification and reprogramming, could have something to do with the droids outside. The second area appears to be a con/comm station, the range is too short for any approaching ships, and too long for simple communications inside this place…."

Avaryss smiled.

"You think this section is responsible for sending orders to the droids?"

"What I'm seeing here suggests that?" Holli shrugged. I won't know for sure until I'm there and into their computer system. I have no way to access those systems from here."

The young Sith nodded.

"Then we will need to get you on site then. We will secure both locations; from there we should be able to decide what to do next.

"As you wish," the engineer said, "Oh there is one more thing, my lord."

"Yes?"

"I think I located where the Jedi's ship landed. I'm into comms now; I should be able to trigger alerts in other areas, should I try to direct station security towards them and them alone.

"It could take a lot of heat off of us."

Avaryss considered that.

Directing Terrog's forces to pursue the Jedi and the Jedi alone would make things easier, but at the same time, the knowledge that Fenn was with them…"

"The Jedi are not our allies, but they not our enemies right now either. I want you to set off multiple and random alarms near their location, trigger them on levels both above and below their real position. Let's see if we can get the guards to split up, and drawn out. We can force them to check out multiple alarms at once."

The young Sith smiled.

"The more chaos we can cause the better.

"Understood," Holli said entering another series of commands.

She grinned triumphantly.

"Between these, and the ones I've set to cover our tracks, the guards with be thinking that they have a five hundred enemy troops running around the outer shell."

Avaryss nodded.

It was a good plan, and it might just buy the fleet some more time.

Holli unplugged from the computer terminal and picked up her blaster carbine. Xen and Taya were already waiting to get started. Beric, HK, and Quenya…or rather…Necris would remain behind to guard the ship and make sure no one interrupted Rink's work on the sub light engines.

She checked in with HK before she left, she wanted the droid to remember that until she returned, her brother's orders needed to be obeyed, and she did not want the droid running off on some random whim. The ship needed to be protected.

Before they got going, Beric pulled her aside; he said there was something that they needed to discuss. She asked him to make it quick, the longer they waited her, the more likely that Terrog's reinforcements would have time to cut them off from places they needed to go.

This is important, he assured her.

She nodded and asked him to continue.

Her brother looked around and came in closer, speaking softly so that only she would be able to hear him.

"I don't trust her," he said.

"Trust who," she asked.

"Quenya, she…she has changed. I think that there is something wrong with her."

"You disapprove of Necris' choices?"

"Quenya, Necris, or whatever she chooses to call herself now should not be left alone here sister. I can no longer say for sure what side she is on, not that I had a good idea before."

The soldier shook his head.

"I think I liked her better when she was an angry former Jedi moping around the ship, lamenting that we had ruined her life. This…this new Quenya…"

He shook his head again.

"While you were in quarantine back on the citadel she spent most of her time meditating."

"She is a Sith," Avaryss reminded him, "We meditate, it is how we gather our power."

"She insisted on doing her meditations in the citadel morgue, Keera. I stopped into check on her once and she was floating among the corpses, giggling to herself,"

Her brother shivered.

"It is creepy. I may not know much about the Force, but I know when something and someone might become a problem."

Avaryss nodded.

She understood his concern, Necris' new range of abilities made her a little leery too, but it was not like they had many options right now, they were on mission.

Necris' power, her puppets would be useful in keeping the ship safe.

They needed her right now, no matter how creepy her abilities might seem.

"If it makes you feel better, then watch her close," Avaryss advised, "But do nothing to provoke her, she is still Sith and my apprentice."

Avaryss smiled.

"If things look like they about to turn sideways, bring HK into this, he has programing for killing Force sensitives, but do not do so lightly. Necris is mine, do not seek to provoke while we are deep in enemy territory."

He nodded grimly.

"Understood, I'll watch her, but I will remain respectful."

"Good," his sister said, "I know the dark side can be complicated, brother, but do not let it frighten you. It is the power that will allow us to conquer this galaxy. It is our destiny. We must not lose sight of that."

"Understood, my lord," he said.

He gently brushed her hand with his.

"Good luck little Sister, be careful in here."

She nodded.

"The Force will serve me well, brother. I will be back soon."

Avaryss turned and joined up with the rest of her group. She could feel their eagerness to get things moving. It was a feeling that she shared.

Right now Terrog's forces were occupied, but as soon as they realized that they had two threats moving through this place.

"I will be making sure that the ship is ready for your return, master," Necris called after her with a sly smile.

"Very good apprentice," she said, "May the Force serve you well."

"Thank you, my master; I will not be failing you."

Avaryss tried not to frown.

She now saw what Beric was talking about. Quenya…Necris now radiated with a power she did not entirely understand.

The unknown could be valuable, but it could also be dangerous.

She found herself thinking about her Trial of Blood back on Fury 9, and the warning the two overseers had given her that day.

_Beware your master, beware your apprentice._

Now that she was taking the first steps of being a teacher, she now understood what the second part of that warning meant.

The dark side did not like to be subjugated for long.

Was Necris already plotting her downfall, had she been plotting it since they had first found her?

She certainly had reason to hate Avaryss, perhaps now more than ever.

The dance between master and apprentice was one with many pitfalls. One day Necris would decide that she was stronger than her master. On that day she would make her move, and if Avaryss was too slow…

The young Sith shuddered.

She had a vision of her broken body stumbling to its feet, her mouth slack; her dead eyes staring blankly at the one who had killed her.

In that moment she could hear her apprentice laughing in triumph!

She could hear Darth Necris, Dark Lord of the Sith celebrating her victory!

Avaryss shook her head, her eyes narrowed dangerously.

No! I will kill Devish first!

It was all she could do to resist doing so right now, to prevent the vision she had just had.

Control yourself, the dark side whispered, you have another enemy now, one that needs to be dealt with first.

Your power will keep the girl in line, when the time comes she will be stronger, but you will be too.

Nothing is certain.

The apprentice needs to kill the master, but they do not always succeed.

Necris is not a dark lord yet.

"Are you okay, Avy?" Taya asked.

Her old friend's concern brought her back to where she needed to be, back in the here and now.

She nodded grimly.

"The traitor is somewhere on this station," she said, "We must tear out is support system, destroy his defenses and power base."

Avaryss' mind filled with the image of Fehl, both what he had been and what he was now.

Her hands curled into angry fists.

"The Dark Council has declared that all who serve Terrog must die. We shall take no prisoners, show no mercy."

Xen laughed.

"Sounds like fun," she purred.

"Let's get started."

Avaryss turned to Holli.

"Lead the way, Ensign," she ordered, "Let us find this synthetic modifications and reprogramming station that you told me about."

"As you wish, my lord." The changeling said pointing.

"It is this way."

IOI

"Holli, kill the lights!"

The group fell back while the engineer, interfaced with the computer terminal, the section that they were in was plunged into darkness.

Avaryss gripped her lightsaber tightly; she could feel the leather strap rubbing against her bare fingers.

"No sound," she hissed to her fellows, "Don't even breathe."

They stood in darkness, Holli docked behind a bulk head for cover as the company of guards arrived.

"There was an alert in this area," one called out.

"I don't see anything?"

"It was here! I know it!

"What happened to the lights?"

"Contact station control," a gruff voice said, "Tell them to get the lights on in this section."

Avaryss smiled.

They wanted lights?

They would have light.

HISSSSSS!

HISSSSS-HISSSS!

HISSSSS-HISS-HISS!

Three Sith lightsabers ignited, one single blade, one double blade, and a cross bladed sword. The section was bathed in crimson light.

Blood shine!

Emperor save us!" one of the soldiers shouted.

Avaryss almost laughed.

_The Emperor will not intervene on your behalf traitor!_

_Your life is over!_

"OPEN FIRE!"

Blaster bolts filled the air.

Avaryss and her fellows spun their blades, the skill of Shien on full display.

Blaster bolts bounced back at those who fired them.

Xen dashed forward with Taya at her side.

"No prisoners," Taya shouted.

"NO MERCY!" Xen shrieked as she drove her cross guard up into the throat of an enemy officer.

Half of the group tried to retreat, Avaryss did not let them.

She seized the man farthest back in the Force, holding his body up, blocking the exit. His colleagues shouted for him to get out of the way. He screamed that he couldn't!

The dark side sang as Avaryss and her fellows massacred the guards. The remaining two actually threw down their blasters and fell to their knees begging their lords for mercy.

Xen decapitated them with a single swing of her lightsaber.

Avaryss smirked as she stepped over the corpses.

What part of no mercy and no prisoners had the men not understood?

For a Sith that was no empty threat.

They reveled in the darkness.

It was intoxicating!

It was delicious!

Xen spun her blade around looking for someone else to cut down, thirsty for more blood.

"MORE!" the apprentice shouted, "SEND ME MORE! I WANT DEATH!"

"Calm yourself, apprentice," Taya said, "There are more up ahead, I'm sure."

"Good," Xen giggled her face bathed in the red light of her blade.

She turned to Avaryss a hungry grin on her face, tears in her eyes.

"I never knew hate could feel so good! I've never felt so free! Master, I owe you so much."

She laughed.

"I love my emotions!

"I love being Sith!"

"My lord?" Holli said in a small voice as she peered out from behind where she had hidden.

It was all Avaryss could do to keep from turning and taking the engineer's head. She felt intoxicated…

…the dark side was so strong here.

Battle could easily turn into blind massacre here, a Sith could end up slaying both friends and foes.

She took a deep breath, tried to center herself.

What was this place?

She knew that the information section thought this was a medical station, that is what the reports had said, but now that she was here, she did not agree with that assessment.

The dark side was weak in the healing arts, if this place was supposed to be a medical station, why did it seem to draw in so much dark side energy?

Even the Rakata had to know that the dark side was not for healing.

The blood faded from her eyes, Avaryss managed to find her center again.

"Where next, Ensign," she asked.

"We go to the end of this walk way," the changeling said, "We take the ramp to the left and then turn left."

Avaryss nodded.

She wondered if there would be any more guard patrols on that level.

She hoped there would be.

"Are you okay, my lord," Holli asked, "You seem…"

"I'm fine Holli," she promised. She tried to appear calm.

Her thought were anything but, her thoughts were bathed in blood and hate!

_I will be better if I can kill again!_

_I want to kill again!_

_**I**__**WANT TO KILL THEM ALL!**_

She tried to stay focused on the mission, to ignore the darkness, the bloodlust that this place inspired.

They were on mission.

The Empire was in danger!

She had to save it.

She had to protect it from Terrog.

_Then what?_

The voice that whispered in her mind was the same one she had heard earlier, the one that had pulled her back for the darkness when Fehl had injected her with his vaccine.

She imagined an old man standing before a brazier burning with dark flame, his yellow eyes burning with ambition and hate.

_Is saving the Empire for others truly what you want?_ He asked.

_This station, __**this **__weapon it is of the dark side, just as you are._

She imagined the old man's smile the rotted teeth, she could hear cold cackling. Who he was, she could not say, but something about him…that face.

It was familiar.

_Avaryss of the Sith, Long have you waited; long have you sought a means to make your dreams a reality. This place…the plague that is hidden here, it waits for a true Sith to wield its power. _

_It waits for you._

Avaryss shivered.

She…she couldn't…couldn't…

She smiled slyly.

She…she could.

She imagined a new galaxy. One that knew a new reality, hundreds of worlds were dead or changed by the effects of the Fydon virus. The Jedi were gone. Coruscant was an infected wasteland, with only several hundred mutated things crawling through its ruins.

Korriban and Dromund Kaas were silent, they had been warned. The price of resistance was too high.

She saw the citadel in her mind's eye. She saw the lords of the Sith on their knees, the Dark Council on their knees. Marr and the others knelt; they knelt or became a head shorter. Darth Feer was brought before her in chains, his foul family would die first, he would know her pain; he would know her loss.

"Daughter," she heard him shriek, "WHY!"

From her place on the Sith throne, Avaryss cackled.

"Because it amuses me you old fool, because your pain enriches me."

Xen came up behind him, ready to do her duty, her lightsaber lit and hungry. Avaryss sat on the throne, watching eagerly, royal guards flanked her, protected her, Fenn stood to her right, her advisor and lover, Taya was to her left, smiling excitedly at the show.

_And what of the Emperor,_ the old man's voice whispered.

Avaryss almost laughed.

Let him try to be all-knowing when his body is stripped of the Force! You cannot rule an Empire from the shadows; you cannot hide in seclusion while your people suffer.

It takes an Empress to rule and Empire!

I will give them a true example of leadership! I will show them all how a true Sith aristocrat rules!

_**Empress Avaryss!**_

I will…

Avaryss blinked and shook her head.

What?

The dream faded from her eyes. She was back on Terrog's station. She…she was…

Emperor save me, she thought.

What was I thinking?

_You were thinking about power,_ the old man's voice said.

_**Destroy**__ the Jedi!_

_**Bind **__the Sith!_

_Let the will of the darkness become **your** will._

_You will become…the Sith!_

Avaryss shuddered.

It…it was an intoxicating idea, using this place, but at the same time.

No, she thought.

NO!

Terrog's toy was _**too**_ dangerous!

It could destroy us just as easily as it could the Jedi!

She would not be the one responsible for destroying an Empire that had stood for almost two thousand years.

"Avy," Taya said.

"Yes," she said turning to her old friend.

Taya was grinning hungrily, her blue eyes had turned the amber color of the Sith.

"If you want this place, my love," she purred, "I will help you take it."

Avaryss cursed under her breath.

Had Taya heard that call too?

Had Xen?

For the moment the former Jedi seemed too lost in her blood lust to care much about political power.

Still…this place was having an effect on them, as it had probably had an effect on Terrog.

She considered that.

Is that where Terrog's whole "The Living Will of the Force" thing come from? Had the dark side energies in this place inspired his ambitions to such a degree?

Did it even matter now?

"We will do what we came here to do, Tay," she informed he friend, "We shall be heroes of the Empire."

The blonde nodded.

"As you say, my love," she said gently touching Avaryss' cheek.

"I'm yours, in all things."

Avaryss took her hand from her face and gave it a gentle squeeze.

She was grateful for Taya's presence here.

It…it helped keep her centered.

She realized that they had come to the end of the path that Holli had put them on.

"Where next, Holli," she asked.

"Time is short."

IOI

When they found their destination, they turned it into a battlefield.

The station's synthetic modification and reprograming section had been manned by both guards and technicians. Two of Terrog's Sith marauders had also been stationed there, men who had been modified by his grotesque work,

Avaryss grinned when she saw them.

Wonderful, she thought, another chance to unleash the bloodlust.

To purge it from my mind!

She ignited her blade and leapt forward.

She no longer felt the need for caution.

She wanted blood.

She would have blood!

The Marauders died first.

Taya and Xen took one while she had one all to herself. The cyborg was fast, but he was all blind rage, his fury fed by the station. Any other time, Avaryss would have been cautious to face one of Terrog's creations on her own, but not now.

The dark side was singing through her, it was a symphony of shadows!

Fury was only a single note in such a wondrous song.

She was not limited to blind fury, dark emotions flowed unchecked through her.

Greed, pride, lust, fury and hate…hate above all, it was like a fire in veins.

It was incredible!

She toyed with the Marauder for a few moments, when she grew bored she lifted him in a Force grip, and began to crush him. When his cries of pain were not enough for her, she sent Force lightning into his flesh; she turned him into a glowing ball of burning meet and dark side energy.

She flung him off the walkway and down into the deep shaft that was the hollow sphere of Terrog's station.

More, the dark side begged.

Kill more!

Avaryss threw back her head and howled in dark ecstasy.

She had never felt more alive.

No matter what the council said, no matter what her master believed, this place had changed her; it had awoken something inside her.

She was no mere Sith anymore!

She was death on two legs.

She was darkness.

She had reached the place that so many had before her. She had found the plateau that Revan, Malak, Marr, Vengean, and so many others had reached.

She was changed.

It did not matter what others said.

She was Darth Avaryss now…

…and Darth Avaryss hungered for death!

Xen and Taya had finished their opponent, they now were dealing with the remaining guards, cutting down some, and deflecting blaster bolts back at others.

Technicians cowered behind their stations.

Avaryss grinned hungrily.

More victims to slaughter!

Delicious!

She seized the first one she saw with the Force and lifted him to the ceiling; she was just about to disembowel him with her lightsaber when the Force flared…

A warning!

Avaryss spun around; her crimson blade met an Emerald colored one. The blade cut her off from striking the technician.

She snarled with fury.

She was met by the face of a hated foe. The face of an animal glared out from beneath a brown robed cowl. A long brown mussel curled back showing long sharp teeth.

"You," Shyra Viel snarled.

"Mongrel," Avaryss purred, her voice dripping with sweet venom.

"How nice."

She released the technician and spun away dropping into a Makashi fighting stance. The Jedi stood before her, in her own fighting stance.

"Come on witch," she hissed.

"I'm, waiting."

As am I, Avaryss thought.

I've waited a long time for this!

She spun her blade and with a war cry lunged forward.

Jedi and Sith clashed, their blades hissing and sparking.

_Kill her,_ the darkness cried.

_Slaughter her, now!_

Avaryss lunged.

She would do just that.

"AVY!" she heard Taya cry out over her bloodlust, the pounding of her heart.

"THE JEDI ARE HERE!"

_No kidding_, Avaryss thought dryly, _but no matter._

They were just more victims.

She lunged again at the beast girl only to have her parry her attack, and strike back with one of her own.

A flurry of blows rained down, Avaryss turned them back, but only just barely.

So strong, she thought, I had forgotten how much stronger this creature was.

She almost laughed.

Fortunately, she was stronger too!

She sent Force lightning at her enemy; Shyra caught it with her blade. Avaryss sent chairs flying at her back. The beast leapt over them, cutting them as they passed and flung them at Avaryss.

She dodged out of the way, and snarled hungrily.

_**Why you flea bitten brat!**_

_**I'll make a coat out of you!**_

She was so caught up with her fight with the beast girl that she no longer cared about the control room; she no longer cared about her people. All that mattered was killing Shyra Viel, avenging her defeat on the Wreck. She would…

"KEERA!"

The voice cut through the rage and bloodlust, it cut through the hate and anger. The shadows that filled this place, that had been holding her tighter and tighter lessened, they fled from her retreating, shrieking in fear.

Avaryss staggered.

The Force around her changed, becoming that comfortable silver shine that she had grown so use to.

How the Force felt when he was around.

She kept her guard up. Shyra Viel had ceased her own attack, she was panting as she looked across her green blade at her enemy.

Standing behind her was Fenn Shadowstone and his master Jas Dar Bynn. The two smugglers and the small child-like Jedi Master was there as well.

Yet, Avaryss had eyes only for Fenn; it was he that had brought her back, it was his words and presence that had pulled her out of the darkness she had been drowning in.

"That is enough Keera," he said, his own blade was out, but not raised, not threatening.

"I know why you are here," he said.

"There is no reason for this."

His lupine companion did not feel that way. The creature radiated a desire to destroy her.

"She is Sith," Shyra growled, "She was butchering these people. She is no better than Terrog!"

"I've come to stop him," Avaryss hissed, "I've come to save my home."

She could feel the bloodlust, it was still there, but Fenn, his presence, had allowed her think again. She was no longer killing for the sake of killing.

She was back in control again.

Shyra looked past her, her eyes widened.

"GET AWAY FROM THERE!" she shouted.

"If I don't disable the alarms," Holli shouted back, "Every guard in this place will be walking up that ramp in a minute.

Avaryss dared a glance behind her; Holli was at a terminal pressing buttons and pulling levers.

Avaryss took a deep breath; her anger was back under control again.

"Hello Master Jas," she said with a nod, "We meet again."

"So we do," the Jedi Master said, she could sense a coolness about him, that had not been there before.

_He __**knows,**_ the dark side whispered.

He knows what you did to his brother.

She smiled.

Part of her was tempted to taunt him with Sy Dar Bynn's death, but that might undo everything that they had done up to this point.

There were too many lightsabers lit in this room, it was a bomb waiting to go off.

She chose not to press the detonator.

She looked at Fenn.

You have come to secure this place?" she asked.

It was Jas Dar Bynn that answered.

"He felt your presence here, your fury."

"You were out of control," Fenn added.

"I came to help."

She almost laughed.

He wanted to help?

He wanted to save her?

Wasn't that sweet!

Avaryss felt…warmth through their connection in the Force. Warmth…and need.

She swallowed; her throat had suddenly gone very dry.

She wasn't sure what she wanted in that moment, she was surrounded by blood and death.

Part of her wanted to attack Fenn, to punish him for daring to stop her fun. Another part of her wanted to take him into her arms.

A shiver ran down her spine.

I want him, she thought lustfully.

I want to take him right here and now!

It might have been her imagination, but she thought he might be blushing.

Had he picked up on her desire?

Possibly?

She smiled at him.

Keera's soft smile.

Shyra growled like the animal she was.

"This one is not worthy of saving," she said.

"All are worthy of saving Padawan," the little alien master said.

She approached the two girls.

"Lower your blades," she said, her voice was a song that demanded to be obeyed, "there will be no more violence here, not for the moment."

Shyra obeyed without another word. Her green blade powered down.

Avaryss was slower to deactivate hew weapon, but she did.

She looked at the little alien.

She could feel the light radiating off this creature, the calm and balance, but she could also sense a will like iron, and what it held in check.

She shivered.

Darkness, she could feel it inside the little Jedi Master, a darkness that was likely on the same level as what her master wielded.

It was amazing.

How did one turn away from such power?!

Who would be so foolish?!

The child-like being smiled, like this was private joke between them

She winked at the young Sith.

"You feel it, don't you dark one?"

Avaryss nodded.

"Yes…I feel it."

"The path to darkness is known to me, but I turned away."

Avaryss smirked.

"Foolish of you."

"Maybe," the alien said laughing in that musical voice of hers.

She offered her hand.

"I am Vey Ilo; I bid you greetings, young Keera."

Vey smiled warmly.

Fenn has told me much about you.


	65. Weakness

**A/N: Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy Life Day to you all, Star Wars fans! May you get to spend time with your families this holiday and not get captured and frozen in carbonite by some Mandalorian bounty hunter who has a puck with your face on it? Enjoy dear readers!**

**DG**

**Chapter 65: Weakness**

Avaryss sneered down at the little Jedi Master. Had the creature been human she would have put her age around fourteen or fifteen. The impishness of her face did not hint at this being a long lived being. Her pale skin, small pointed ears and markings on her face did little reinforce that this Vey Ilo was a being of great power.

The eyes told a different story. The Jedi's eyes were old.

They hinted at something more. Most beings would not simply walk up and greet a Sith so openly. Some would call such a willingness to do so foolish.

Avaryss did not, not given what she sensed through the Force.

_She is not afraid of me_, the Sith realized_, if what I'm sensing is real, this little creature likely knows more about the dark side than she, Avaryss, had even had a chance to discover yet, and in spite of that knowledge, still walked the path of a Jedi?_

_Why? Avaryss wondered._

_Surely such an old being was not so foolish or naïve?_

She gave the Jedi an icy smile.

"You think that _**I'm**_ worth saving?"

Vey Ilo smiled.

"I take it that you feel that you are not?"

There is no reason for someone to try and save me. I don't need saving or protecting. I made my choice long ago. I will not turn my back on it now."

"Perhaps," the Jedi Master said, her expression did not suggest that she believed her.

Avaryss eyes narrowed.

They did not have time for this!

She was not about to surrender this place to the Jedi, not until Holli was able to figure out a way to save the Sith Fleet. She looked at the Jedi being here as a useful distraction, nothing more.

Avaryss glanced over at Shyra Viel and Jas Dar Bynn.

She _**had**_ enemies here, for the moment they were trying to deal with larger threat, but…

What would happen if they decided that **she** was the more immediate problem?

I don't want to waste time and energy killing these fools, she thought. Terrog was the real problem, but she could not allow the Jedi to hamper her efforts to stop him

There was tension in the room, The Jedi and their allies, Avaryss and hers, they had secured this control station, but it would not be long until Terrog's forces realized that it had been lost and send people to try and reclaim it. They would need to…

"Avy?"

Avaryss turned her head; Taya had stayed near the back of the room when the Jedi had arrived. The look on her old ally's face was a mix of pain and surprise.

"Tay?" she asked.

"Avy…I don't feel…"

Taya's eyes rolled back in her head as she collapsed, her lightsaber falling from her hand.

Avaryss' eyes widened.

What was going?

What had happened?!

Holli was out of her chair and at the blonde girl's side. It was at that moment that Avaryss realized that Taya must have been injured when they had attacked.

Her friend gripped her side, moaning weakly.

Avaryss felt her life flicker in the Force.

Holli looked up at her.

"She is cut pretty bad, my lord," the engineer informed her.

"I thought she got hit when we were dealing with Terrog's pet," Xen said coldly.

Avaryss' apprentice smiled.

"I guess she wasn't as fast as she thought she was."

The young Sith almost snarled at the girl, but doing so seemed pointless now.

She could sense what was happening in the Force.

Taya…_was_ dying.

That realization…hit Avaryss like an asteroid.

Taya was dying.

_No._

_She could not be?_

_**NO!**_

In that moment she almost forgot about the Jedi, and about her mission, she almost ran to her friend's side. She…they…us…

_She __**couldn't**__ think!_

She wanted to go Taya's side. There…there had to be something she could do. She had saved Quenya, but in doing so had changed the girl, made her into Necris.

She could not tell if that was a good thing or not.

I can help her. I can save her, but…

Avaryss' eyes narrowed.

_Weakness,_ the darkness whispered.

_You cannot show weakness._

She swallowed hard.

_No…she could not…_

…_Not in front of enemies…_

…_or in front of allies._

She looked coldly down on Taya. She _couldn't_ and **wouldn't** let the Jedi see weakness.

She would not let them see her in such a state.

At the same time, she could not allow Xen to see her rush to her ally's side. The former Jedi had taken to the dark side with a dedication that most Sith Hopefuls did not possess.

She dared not show any weakness before her new apprentice. If she did, it would be the first nail in her coffin. Xen would use that knowledge against her.

She could _**not **_allow that.

So she stood there, watching her friend, perhaps her only true friend dying. Holli looked up at her.

Avaryss shook her head.

"Return to your work ensign," she ordered.

"There is nothing we can do."

Holli's eyes widened

"My lord…we?"

"She is gone," Avaryss said flatly, "Leave her."

"She is dead."

"_**I can't believe you people!"**_

Avaryss looked up, her hand on her lightsaber.

_Who dares?!_

It was the Bothan that spoke, he pushed his way past the surviving technicians; he did not even look at Xen as he made his way to where Taya lay wounded.

The alien looked up at Avaryss and bared his fangs.

"How did your people ever manage to build an Empire," he spat. "If you give up on your own so easily…?"

She sneered at the Bothan.

"Taya is Sith," she said, "She knows what it means to fall, to fail…"

Avaryss stood taller.

"I will not dishonor myself or my order by doing otherwise."

The Bothan's fur rippled as he glared at her.

"Honor?" he spat.

"Since when do the Sith know anything about honor?"

Avaryss almost drew her blade, almost lunged at the alien for his insolence.

She was stopped by a gentle touch, both on the shoulder and through the Force.

Fenn was at her side.

She looked over her shoulder with an icy glare.

"Keera," he said softly, sympathetically.

"Let him help."

Her anger cooled, but, but…

This was _**not**_ right!

Taya was done, best forgotten!

_Let her die,_ the darkness whispered_, she has given you the connections that you needed. Now she has outlived her usefulness._

_Let her go._

_She is done._

_Cast her aside._

The darkness whispered those words over and over again, but deep within her, in the shard of light within Avaryss, that damnable stubborn piece of Keera that refused to die.

She felt…hope…gratitude.

Save her, the light whispered.

Please.

Save my friend, _**my**_ sister.

Save her…_please_.

It _would_ be better to let Taya die. The loss, the pain and anger of that loss would fuel her power, and cut away yet another chain that bound Avaryss' heart.

It would serve a valuable purpose; she should push the Jedi away, better yet, simply reach out with the Force and break Taya's neck.

Her death would serve better.

It would…but…but…

Avaryss frowned.

She could not raise her hand. She could not summon the darkness to do the deed.

A hiss escaped her lips.

She.

Just.

Couldn't.

DO!

IT!

"Your friend is in good hands," Vey said, "Mox Devrn'alya is one of the finest healers I've ever seen."

The Bothan looked up at her from his place at Taya's side.

"I…I haven't tried anything like this in years, master."

"What if I fail?"

Vey gave him a stern look.

"Do or do not, Mox," she said, "there is no such thing as try."

The Bothan sighed and shook his head, his muzzle pulled back in a grimace.

He placed a cream colored paw on Taya's wounded side.

Avaryss said nothing.

She simply watched.

Unsure if she wanted the Bothan to fail or succeed!

For the first time…she felt pulled in two directions at once.

She was not sure what she wanted.

Holli and Xen said nothing, the engineer continued to search Terrog's computer system while Avaryss apprentice watched silently, her features hidden by her hooded top.

Avaryss felt the Force, it answered the Bothan's call; the light flowed around him, but…moved sluggishly.

_It had been too long,_ Avaryss thought.

_He will not be able to save her._

The other smuggler, the woman, Tru Halcyon went to her partner's side. She placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You can do this, Moxie," she said, "We're with you."

Fenn was also there, now, offering his strength as well.

"You can do this," he told his friend, "I know you can."

The Bothan shook his head.

"Padawan Pack forever, huh?" he sighed, looking down at the injured Taya.

"Can't believe that I'm doing this for a Sith."

He closed his eyes again, and reached out to the Force, Avaryss felt it.

The light filled the three Force users.

Avaryss turned head away, she…she could not look at it!

It was too bright!

At her side, Xen was equally, affected, Avaryss felt the anger radiating off her.

She looked at her master, Avaryss nodded, offering her support.

"Jedi lies," she whispered.

Xen nodded.

She at least understood.

_Redemption._

_Compassion._

_Peace._

Just thinking the words made Avaryss sneer.

Peace was a lie, there was only passion!

As for redemption, it was a false promise, a trick to make you think that turn away from something eternal; you could never turn your back on what you chosen. It was part of you.

The darkness was eternal.

Compassion...was…was…

Avaryss cursed under her breath.

She cursed the light, cursed that it still had influence over her.

It is all Fenn Shadowstone's fault!

The darkness roiled, she could feel it reaching out, trying to get her to do what needed to be done, to punish these Jedi for interfering in something that was none of their business.

Yet, the darkness could only touch her weakly, Fenn's presence, these other Jedi…

She shivered as she felt Taya coming back. She felt her friend's presence returning. Life flowing back, called back by the power of the Force.

She felt a wave of gratitude at that realization, and immediately hated herself for it.

_The light has __**no **__hold over me!_

She wanted to shout it to the heavens.

_**I DON'T WANT REDEMPTION!**_

She felt the power fade, felt the darkness of the station rushing back as the power of the light returned to its normal level.

Taya groaned and shifted where she lay.

Avaryss felt her reach out with the Force, reach out to her friend.

"Avy?"

"I'm here," she murmured.

"I'm here."

She felt Taya relax, felt her presence stabilize.

Avaryss was grateful for that, and despised herself for her weakness.

_I'm a fool. _

The Bothan leaned back from Taya's body, Fenn and the girl, Tru, whispered words of support and thanks.

Slow clapping interrupted the scene, its source…Avaryss' apprentice.

"Well done, Mox," Xen said sweetly.

"The healers at the temple would have been proud."

The two former Jedi and Fenn looked up at Xen, perhaps for the first time realizing who it was under that hood.

She removed her cowl and smiled at her old comrades.

"Isn't this special," Xen said, "A regular Padawan Pack reunion?"

"How…lovely."

Xen's former allies looked at her with a mix of disbelief and horror.

"Xen?" Tru Halcyon gasped.

"Xeni..." the Bothan said, his fur shifting as his eyes widened.

"What…what _**happened**_ to you?"

Xen Loor laughed.

"Do you remember what it was like," she asked, "Do you remember when we fled the temple, when we tried to outrun the darkness, but no matter what we did, it seemed to be there?"

Avaryss watched the two Jedi Masters, wondering what they were thinking at that moment.

What did they think of the new Xen Loor?

And…would they blame Avaryss for her decisions?

"Master Sy told me to forget what happened," Xen continued, "He tried to convince me that the darkness had no sway, that it was weak, and only a weakling would not resist its call."

She giggled; a single tear fell down her cheek.

He lied," she purred, "He was _**a liar!**_ The darkness was nothing to be afraid of. It...It offers freedom, free from pain, free from doubt."

She smiled at her old friends.

"The dark side has set me free! Master Avaryss has _freed_ me! We…we could all be free together! The Padawan Pack reborn!"

She sneered and turned to Masters Jas and Vey.

"Do not believe these liars! They are jealous or cowards! They want to hold us all back! Master Avaryss has shown me the truth! She…she has given me a life that I never imagined!"

Xen turned to Avaryss a look of gratitude on her face.

"I will follow her forever."

Avaryss smiled coldly.

In this, at least, she was back on familiar ground.

She was glad that Taya was back, but the Jedi would come to regret saving her.

She was Avaryss' as well, just like Xen.

They might come to regret the choice to save her.

The Bothan gave Avaryss an evil look.

"What did you do to her?" he demanded.

The young Sith shrugged.

"Nothing that she did not secretly want," she replied.

Tru Halcyon glared at her.

"You've _**brainwashed**_ her!"

"Master Avaryss did nothing of the sort," Xen said, "She gave me a choice, Tru."

"I simply chose to make it."

The female smuggler was hearing none of it.

"She does not even feel the same through the Force!"

"She is thinking for herself now," Avaryss said dismissively.

"Do not be disappointed that she no longer fits what you think that she _should_ be."

Xen turned to the Bothan, her smile wide and hungry.

"Don't you like seeing me like this, Moxie," she pouted, "You use to like watching me, when we in the temple. I remember."

Xen laughed lightly.

"I always wondered about that? How could a Bothan be…intrigued by a human? I remember when you always tried to find ways to stand close to me. You had such a crush."

She ran her finger down the front of her body, her Sith garments leaving little to the imagination.

Her smile turned cruel.

"Your attention made me uncomfortable. I was to be a Jedi that was the life that my parents had wanted for me. I didn't want to hurt you, and then when we were lost in the tunnels beneath the temple."

She shook her head.

"The Xen that helped you was a fool. She was afraid of her emotions, afraid of feeling. She didn't want to disappoint her parents, or the masters, all she had wanted was to make them proud."

"I don't care what others think anymore, Mox. I only care about what is right for me! What I want! I will deal with those that killed our friends at the temple. I will destroy them all."

She held out her hand.

"You can come with me," she offered, "Neither of us are Jedi now. Would you like to explore what that means?"

She gave him a seductive come hither look.

"It could be…fun."

Mox Devrn'alya did not respond with words, he radiated with a sense of distaste through the Force.

Xen felt it, she sniffed.

"You don't like me anymore? Fine." She turned away petulantly.

"I won't waste my time then."

She looked at Avaryss; the look on her face was almost worshipful.

The Bothan growled at the Sith.

"I hope you are proud of what you did to her."

Avaryss shrugged.

"I'm afraid that Sy Dar Bynn deserves most of the credit," she replied, her eyes turning back to Master Jas.

"Your Hutt spawn of a brother, did this to her, he emotionally crippled her, and all to turn her to serve his ends."

Master Jas did not respond, he simply watched her, his emotions hidden beneath his Jedi calm and will.

"If Xen Loor is ruined it is because of his actions, not mine. I'm going to give her a new life, one in which she does not have to pretend that she feels nothing."

Her gaze turned to Fenn.

"You helped Fenn, Master Jedi; he showed me some of that. I'm in your debt for that."

She gave him her own wicked smile.

"Let me help, Xen, we will see what kind of Sith she becomes."

The sound of armored boots drew their attention, through the view port of the control room they could see more soldiers approaching.

All the arguments and blame ceased. Both Jedi and Sith drew their weapons.

Lightsabers activated, their hum filled the room.

"I will shield Taya," Avaryss said to her apprentice, "Feel free to indulge yourself with these fools."

Xen giggled eagerly.

"I was hoping you would say that master." She whirled her cross-guarded lightsaber around.

More nerfs to the slaughter!

IOI

It did not take the two groups long to deal with the next wave of attackers. In this, at least, the Jedi and Sith had a common enemy, Darth Terrog needed to die.

These were not like the guards that had been protecting this place, these were modified…they were like the creatures that Terrog used to burn the Feer estate. Avaryss was limited in her range of attacks because she was keeping Taya safe. Her friend was awake, but it was clear that she was not strong enough yet to join in the fun.

That is fine, Avaryss thought.

More for us.

The Jedi attacked Terrog's monsters with the cool efficiency of droids. She found herself watching Master Vey especially; the little Jedi master's style was a blend of Ataru of Avaryss' own Soresu. The Sith tried to absorb what she was seeing, if the day ever came that she would need to kill the little Jedi she wanted to have an idea of what such a challenge might be like.

It would be quite the battle that was for sure.

This one should not have survived the first war, she thought, she should have been eliminated. Her knowledge of the dark side is a threat.

When she returned to Dromund Kaas, she would see what Imperial Intelligence had on Master Vey Ilo; such threats should not be ignored.

The two smugglers proved equally interesting, they did not use lightsabers, despite their strength in the Force. Their reliance on blasters was a bit odd, but not in the way most would think. Avaryss watched as the two fired on Fenn, not to hit up, but to use him to deflect their bolts at targets they could not have hit normally.

It was an impressive display.

It seemed that the Jedi were taking this matter seriously, not risking their own lives with pointless displays of mercy.

She was happy to see that the Jedi did not even try to offer mercy to Terrog's freaks. Even they could see that these monsters were beyond saving.

Darth Terrog and his virus was a threat to both sides, both orders, no matter what either side thought of the other.

They needed to deal with this quickly, time was short…

And they still had another control room to secure, or so Holli believed.

We need to get moving, Avaryss thought.

We have been here far too long already.

The battle ended with the last of Terrog's monster's falling. That was a victory in itself, but of equal importance were the deaths of the remaining technicians. They had been torn to pieces by the dark lords' foul creation. The Jedi had managed to cut them down, but they were too late to save the remaining scientists, now only one of the creatures remained, it was badly wounded, but it still tried to crawl forward, snarling at its master's enemies.

Fenn ended its life with a single downward strike with his lightsaber. The blue blade impaled the creature's head.

A ruthless tactic, Avaryss thought with a smile.

There is hope for him yet.

She turned to Holli, hopefully the engineer had something for them; something they could use to push forward.

The changeling smiled triumphantly.

"I have something, my lord," she said.

Avaryss grinned.

Perfect!

Using the system here, I've been able to create a data spike," the engineer informed her, "If we can get it into Terrog's probes we will be able to reset their targeting perimeters. They will only attack what we want them to."

"And what target are we setting?" the Sith asked.

"Themselves of course, once this program goes live, every probe outside this station will target its nearest neighbor and not stop until all other probes are either destroyed, or it ceases to function."

"Well done, Ensign," Avaryss said, "release the program."

"It is not that easy I'm afraid," Holli admitted sheepishly. "The transmitter in here is not strong enough to reach the probes. We are going to have to slave this signal through the con/comm station that I told you about earlier. "

The engineer fidgeted.

"We're going to need someone here to run the program interface and someone in control and communications to broadcast the new commands to the closest droids."

"Can't we get them all at once?" Avaryss asked.

"Their CPUs aren't designed that way, but then again, they don't need to be, these droids are receiving constant updates from their fellow's CPUs. All we need to do is program one, and it will spread the new commands like a virus."

Fitting, Avaryss thought, Terrog's plague carriers would be brought down by a virus of their own; the irony was as hilarious as it was delicious.

She could not wait to set this plan in motion.

Jas Dar Bynn came up to her; she still felt his icy regard.

"You seem pleased, Sith," he said dryly.

"Should I feel sorry for someone?"

"For Darth Terrog," she replied, "My engineer has a way to disable his plague carriers, but someone will have to remain here, the console here and in the control and communication's room up ahead need to be accessed at the same time."

Jas nodded thoughtfully.

Tru and Mox can handle that," he offered.

Avaryss gave him a cool look.

"You will excuse me if I prefer to have one of my own people handle this."

"We both want the same thing do we not?" he reminded her.

"True, but…"

"I will do it Avy."

She looked up to see Taya back on her feet. Her friend was a little wobbly, but she had her weapon in hand again.

Taya gave her a sheepish look.

"I could not keep up with you even if I wanted to," she admitted, "But I can keep Terrog's goons back if they try to enter, and I can certainly handle using the data spike."

Avaryss nodded.

She did not like the thought of leaving Taya here alone, but…

She turned to Master Jas.

"Shall we compromise, master Jedi?"

"What do you have in mind, Sith?"

"Taya and your smugglers will remain behind. I trust that I have your word that they will not interfere in his mission. Those droids do need to be deactivated."

Jas Dar Bynn nodded; she still sensed hesitation, but…

"Agreed," he said, before turning his attention to Taya.

"Do I have your word that you will not try to harm Max and Tru?"

Taya shrugged.

"I not really in the shape to murder anyone," she said dryly, "They play things with me, I will do the same."

Master Jas nodded.

"This could work," he said, "We will help you reach this control and communications room you mentioned. You shut down the droids…"

"And the Sith fleet blows this station to pieces," Avaryss said grinning.

"Once we are all safely off, of course."

Of course," the Jedi Master agreed, but she could tell from the look on his face that he was not entirely honest.

If the Jedi couldn't find a way off this station, they would sacrifice themselves to ensure that Terrog's plans ended here.

Avaryss understood, but that did not mean she would go willingly to her death if she could help it.

Now if the Jedi were alone in that sacrifice she would not be too angry. Provided she could convince Fenn not to die so recklessly.

Master Jas was right, this could work. They could…

"_Apprentice?"_

Avaryss jumped, she shivered as a cool sensation consumed her, like the feeling of footsteps walking over her grave...

She looked around in surprise.

"_Master?"_

"Is something wrong, Avy?" Taya asked her.

The Sith shook her head no.

Her master had managed to make mental contact.

Wonderful, Avaryss thought.

Why now?

"_Can you hear me apprentice?"_

She took a deep breath and nodded.

"_What is thy bidding, my master?"_

She felt Lord Feer's pleasure through the Force.

"_Lord Marr just informed me of his plan, the one that you chose to help him with without consulting me."_

She felt a slight pressure behind her eyes.

"_You have been a very bad girl."_

"_Lord Marr gave me a direct order, master. I could not disobey."_

"_I understand my child, but now we must work to turn this plan to our advantage."_

"_Master?"_

"_A Republic Fleet just jumped back into the system. They are holding just out of range of the station and its weapons, but if you are successful…"_

"_They will likely move in," Avaryss thought with a nod._

"_How do you wish me to handle this, my lord?"_

"_Do you have control of Terrog's weapon yet?"_

"_We have a plan master; we are preparing to destroy the probe droids."_

She felt her master's excitement.

"_Excellent, my child, here is what I want you to do. I want you to find a way to seize control of Terrog's toys. You will turn them loose on the Republic fleet. Once the Jedi have lost their reinforcements, the taking of Terrog's station will be simplicity itself."_

_Avaryss frowned._

"_Master, Lord Marr said…"_

**UGH!**

Avaryss winced, if felt like someone was pinching her brain, she felt the Force shifting, she tried to break the connection but she could not.

A single drop of blood dripped from her nose.

She felt Darth Feer's anger and ambition.

He was not pleased with her.

"_You will obey, girl. Your master has commanded that this be done, and it will. You will destroy the Republic fleet, you will do this or you will suffer. I will punish you most severely; do not believe that I won't."_

"_I believe you master," she thought, trying to think through the pain in her head._

"_I will try…"_

_Do not try, girl, do, I will be awaiting your answer, we stand on the threshold of greatness."_

_Do not disappoint me."_

_I won't," _she promised_, "I will do what I can."_

"_See that you do, you are mine?"_

"_I am yours."_

_Body and soul?"_

_Yes my master, body and soul."_

She felt the connection lessen; Darth Feer had said his piece.

She sighed.

This did not bode well.

She shook her head.

Well…wasn't that just great.

"What is it?" Taya asked.

Avaryss frowned.

"My master has his own plans for the station," she said, "I'm to help them come to pass."

Taya frowned; she no doubt could guess what Darth Feer wanted of them.

"So what are we going to do?"

Avaryss shook her head,

She did not really know.

"Be ready to send the command when you hear from me," she ordered, "I will see what I can do to get Lord Feer off our backs.

"It will be done," Taya promised, "oh…and Avy?"

Yeah."

Taya blinked, she seemed confused.

"Who is Keera?"

Avaryss sighed.

"Someone who doesn't exist anymore, she was weak so I cast her away. She died the day that I became Avaryss."

Oh," the blonde said.

"It…it sounded like it was not that simple Avy. What I heard between you and that Jedi boy, it sounds…complicated."

Avaryss sighed.

"You have no idea Tay."

"You have no idea."

Until today, she had thought that Keera was gone. That she was now only a mask to be worn when she was around Fenn and Beric, but after she had watched Taya almost die she had felt something, a change.

She had felt compassion, and hope for the first time in so very long.

She did not like that.

Hope was not something that she needed.

She had orders.

She needed to find a way out of this, to appease Darth Feer and somehow not alienate the dark council.

Then she had to find a way around Fenn, the mongrel, and two Jedi Masters.

No easy challenge.

She heard the sound of more boots approaching on the walkway.

She opened herself up to the Force reaching out.

More guards, she realized, but still no Fehl.

She sighed and drew her weapon.

It is time she thought ignited her blade.

Here we go again.

**A/N: Once again Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!**

**DG**


	66. Choice

**Chapter 66: Choice**

"Why did you decide to become a Sith?"

The question caught her off guard, the group was still moving through the station, and, according to Holli's map, getting closer to the Control and Communications console.

They would need to secure that, it was the only way to send the engineer's data spike to the droids outside. Yet the question had not been about that.

Avaryss frowned.

Why?

That was a curious question, given her history.

"There was never much of a choice," she informed Vey Ilo, the Jedi Master's interest surprised her. She was Sith.

Did it really matter **how** she got here?

The creature seemed…_intrigued_ by her. Perhaps it was the darkness that she kept contain within her, perhaps the Sith's choices made her curious.

Though she was not here to simply feed a Jedi' curiosity, she was willing to humor her.

Who knew what she might learn, if the Jedi was foolish enough to trust her.

"I was seized by Imperial forces," she said, "They offered me a chance to serve the Empire, and to get the revenge I sought."

"Revenge for what?"

A shiver ran down Avaryss' spine.

She…she did not like talking about this, not even with Beric, not with anyone.

"For the death of my family," saying the words out loud to someone made something within Avaryss twist, painfully, she did not like discussing this, even after all this time, even after everything that had happed since...

She could feel Keera's presence now, more than ever. Was it because she was so close to Fenn, or were the Jedi doing something to her, stoking the fires of the light inside of her.

_Shock the little creature_, the darkness whispered, _silence her._

The young Sith smiled.

"I killed those that did it in a fit of rage. Their master…my master saw value in what I had done, he offered me his patronage. I did not know it at the time, but when he came to claim me I accepted his offer. I agreed to become his apprentice."

Vey Ilo blinked, her expression was…grim?

"You serve the man who ordered the death of your family?"

Avaryss smiled, it was a cold and cruel thing.

"Can you think of a better way to get close to someone? He is within reach of my lightsaber, and one day, it will find him."

"I see," the Jedi master replied.

Avaryss rolled her eyes.

She doubted that.

Despite their adherence to the light, the Jedi were proving to be able companions. Terrog's forces hid in ambush, only to be destroyed when they sought to emerge and attack.

Both Jas Dar Bynn and Shyra Viel were once again proving their skill. Fenn was equally impressive, but then how could he not. She was not one to accept weakness, not in her chosen male.

Not in one she desired.

They had been hounded every step of the way. Sith troopers as well as Terrog's…experiments seemed to be waiting for them on every level, the worst of these had revealed itself while they had been passing through a large balcony containing what seemed to have been a series of what looked like kolto tanks, misshapen bodies floating inside, as they had tried to pass by, one the creature within had awoke and smashed through the glass. It had flung Fenn and Master Jas back into a console behind them.

Before the creature could continue the attack both Avaryss and Shyra Viel had leapt in and drove it back. The Jedi had gone low while the Sith had went high. The creature had lost both its legs and an arm, yet still it did not yield, it still snapped and bit and used the Force to try and reach its prey.

Its features were fluid, switching quickly between humanoid and something more…animalistic, just as Shyra herself did.

The Jedi looked down on the broken thing with…pity, sadness.

Avaryss put it out of its misery; she reached out with the Force and snapped its neck.

The creature's head twisted with a satisfying crunch!

Far better a fate than the misshapen thing had deserved, but they did not have time for anything else.

The mission still came first.

Shyra knelt down before it, touching the face of thing; Avaryss could sense the doubt in the Jedi, the pain at what she was seeing.

_Terrog had created her_; that is what Master Jas had said during their adventure aboard the Wreck.

Perhaps the Jedi girl had been birthed from a similar tank? Perhaps seeing this thing dead took her back to that time.

Avaryss smiled.

She decided to twist the blade.

"Family member," she asked dryly, "I do see a bit of a resemblance.

"Shut up," the Padawan growled.

"Terrog has been busy," she added, "Maybe he has returned to whatever work he was doing when you were born."

"Quiet," the beast girl spat

The Sith smirked, enjoying the girl's pain. Xen giggled while the Jedi said nothing.

Waiting to see what the young Padawan would do?

"Keera," Fenn warned.

Avaryss did not stop.

"Who knows mongrel, maybe you will get lucky on this mission. Maybe Terrog created a male…whatever it is that you are."

She laughed lightly.

"Wouldn't that be nice? A male who might be able to…"

The Jedi looked up at her, her features starting to morph into their more animalistic state. Her anger flashed through her eyes. She looked about to spring, to lunge like a predator towards a prey animal's throat

Avaryss was not worried.

She was no one's prey.

"**Silence witch,**" Shyra spat. "You have no idea what I am.

"I prefer the term sorceress, actually. As to what I prefer for myself, I…"

"**I don't give a damn what you prefer. I'll…"**

Padawan," Vey said trilled softly, her musical voice soothing.

"Enough."

The beast girl nodded. She took a deep breath and blew out her anger, but through the Force she still radiated with a desire to seize Avaryss by the throat and start squeezing.

The Sith shrugged.

She could relate to such desires.

"You did not have to do that," Fenn reminded her.

"We're fighting together, why provoke her?"

Avaryss shrugged.

He would not understand.

She cared for him, possibly more than simply cared, but he was not Sith…he wouldn't get it.

Shyra Viel had embarrassed her during their first meeting; she longed to pay the abomination back.

They were allies for the moment, but that would not always be the case.

She welcomed the chance to settle up with her…to finally settle matters between them.

One day, no one would get between them when they dueled, and on that day only one would walk away.

Avaryss was determined that it would be her.

Having dealt with the creature they moved on. Terrog's guards continued to harry them, and more alchemical beasts continued to slither, crawl or bound down the walkways, seeking to block their path.

The group met them all, turning them back with a ferocity that even a Sith master would respect.

Avaryss could feel the dark side pulsing within this place. The way it hung over everything, even pushing the Jedi to a savagery that they might not normally turn to.

They have to hold back, the Sith realized, fortunately for her and her apprentice, that was not the case.

Avaryss and Xen were in their element however, the dark side made them strong.

"I thought this place was supposed to be a medical station? Xen said, "That is what the Imperial spies thought."

Vey laughed lightly at her comment.

"Have you ever felt such darkness in a medical station? Do you honestly believe that is what this place was? We are far from any main hyperspace route, even the Rakata would have had to use those routes, so why put a station for their soldiers in such an isolated location?"

Xen pursed her lips, thinking about this.

Avaryss shook her head.

She thought she got it now.

They had seen nothing that looked like medical wards on the way up. Most of the examination tables they had passed were outfitted with restraints. Those chemical tanks they had seen were not of Sith design which suggested that they had always been here.

Adding up those facts led to one singular conclusion.

"This was not a _medical _station," she said flatly, "It was a research lab, possibly military."

The Sith nodded thoughtfully.

"The Rakata used this place for weapon's research, the kind of research that they would not wish to be conducted on their home worlds."

"They were making plagues here," Shyra growled, the fur on the back of her neck standing up, her features slowly morphing into a more animalistic.

"Research and development," she snarled, "These…Rakata were no better than Terrog!"

"If what is believed about them is true," Avaryss said dryly, "they were likely worse."

"And the Force abandoned them," Vey said, "and their empire fell."

"Good," her apprentice said.

"These people did not deserve the gifts of the Force."

"That was debatable, Avaryss thought, the Rakata were likely the first true disciples of the dark side. It had made them strong, led them to build an empire, and then…

She frowned.

The Rakata had lost their connection to the Force!

A scenario played out in her mind.

It was not a pleasant one.

What if Terrog had not created the Fydon Virus? He was skilled, but what if he had not made it…what if he had _**found**_ it…found it here? What if the virus had already been here or the station's computer had had instructions on how to create it?

_Bad things had happened here once_; she could sense the echo of them. What if the Rakata had lost their connection to the Force because of a disease, a virus, and what if the virus that broke the Rakata's connection to the Force had not been something born in nature? What if it had been a weapon created in lab?

What if the virus had escaped, or been released by feuding rivals?

What If _**this**_ station is where the Rakata's fall had begun?

_What if __**this**__ place destroyed __**their**__ empire?_

The thought of such an occurrence gave her pause. She knew what her master wanted, for her to unleash the virus on the Republic fleet, but what if by doing so the virus was able to make it away from here? Did she dare risk the future of the Sith by unleashing such a plague on the galaxy?

_No,_ she thought.

_No, she could __**not **__obey her master, __**not**__ in this!_

She would not put the empire at risk so that Feer could impress the dark council. Darth Marr had given her an order, the virus needed to be destroyed utterly. The vaccine would be seized, but that was it, it would need to be distributed to all in the Sith Empire, just in case Terrog had hidden any samples of this plague, to make sure that it was neutralized forever.

This weapon had to die with the cyborg. She could not let a single trace of it survive.

Her master would be angry, furious, but she did not care.

She would not risk the entire Sith Empire just for his vanity.

She said none of this to Xen, Holli, or the Jedi. It was none of their business or concern.

It was her choice, her decision.

She was prepared to live with the consequences.

Let him try to punish me, she thought.

Perhaps this is how it would finally happen.

Maybe this was how they would finally face each other, master against apprentice.

It would be the ultimate test, and it was not the only one.

Avaryss nodded.

This whole place was a test, she thought, those of the dark side are drawn to it; it fuels our ambitions and darkest desires.

She found herself thinking of the old man in her vision, the one she had seen chanting and vowing before the brazier.

Could that man have been the Emperor? Could the master of them all taken an interest in her success and was seeking to test her loyalty?

If he was, he would find her a leal servant.

Fear not master of us all, she thought, I'm a daughter of the Empire, one of your many loyal children. I will see the traitor Terrog punished for his foolish attempt to defy you.

I will do it.

Avaryss was not afraid.

She was a patriot to the bone.

She would defend their Empire!

Let their enemies beware.

They had come to junction point when the next attack fell upon them. Enemies dropped down from the walkway above, the sight of the attackers were disturbing to say the least.

These were no ordinary Sith troopers.

Their head were mostly cybernetic, their eyes replaced by what looked like night vision optics, and their chests and necks looked like they were mechanically reinforced.

Their hands and feet were claw-like droid appendages, as they engaged their target, those hands split open to reveal a variety of weapons.

The group of Force users had had little warning, whatever Terrog had done to these things seemed to mask them in the Force, hiding their presence until it was almost too late.

Almost.

There were six of them. Four attacked the Jedi Masters while the remaining two came for Avaryss, Holli, and the students.

Fenn engaged one with Xen backing him up, the two Padawan Pack members still fought well despite the turn in Xen's allegiance. The second dropped down on Holli and Shyra, its clawed metal feet, crushing the two of them down onto the floor.

It rotated its waist around, confronting Avaryss its hands opening up to reveal a lightsaber blade and electro-cudgel.

She blasted the cyborg with Force lightning too little effect, it seems that Terrog had prepared his creations for that type of response.

It missed with its cudgel, as Avaryss parried its lightsaber blade, reversing her strike she took off the weapons emitter, the blade vanished.

The cyborg swung its club snarling.

Terrog's pet would not go down easy.

She fell back and switched tactics, she could hear both the Engineer and beast girl crying out…the machine-thing's clawed feet were pushing down harder on both their backs; it was trying to break their spines, or worse.

Avaryss reached out with the Force, she lifted the thing into the air, it tried to hold onto its prey, but with deck no longer pushing down into their chests; Holli and Shyra now had room to maneuver.

The beast girl shoved her lightsaber into one of the thing's leg joints, sparks flashed as she damaged the components inside. It released its hold on her.

While everyone was distracted, Holli used her abilities to flow out of the assassin's grip she slithered back and within seconds of being free, pulled out her sidearm and started shooting.

It creature roared and struck back violently, swinging its arms back and forth, trying to get at those that were hurting it.

Holding it through the Force with one hand, Avaryss reached out again with the other, she used her powers to tear out the wires leading up into the creature's head, sparks and oil ran out, and down the things chest, the formerly organic being screamed. It was a scream that was part cry for help and part droid code.

The neck and spine may have been armored, but that did not save the doomed…thing. As it finally lost its grip on both Shyra, Holli and the deck, she blasted it again with Force lightning, it did little to the armor, but the fluids flowing out of its damaged parts caught fire.

Finally, distracted, fatally so, Avaryss flung the monster off the walkway. Its electronic screams echoed as it fell out of sight, the fires burning its skin faded to nothing as it the creature disappeared down the shaft.

Avaryss nodded.

So end all, who tried to oppose her.

The price of resistance.

She had no time to celebrate however, the danger had not passed.

She looked down on Holli and the mongrel; they did not seem permanently damaged.

"Are you well, ensign?" she asked.

"I'm okay," the changeling replied, "thank you, my lord."

Avaryss gave Shyra a sarcastic grin.

"Do you have anything to say?" she asked, "Anything you would like to say to me?"

"I did not need your help," she said, though grudgingly, the young Sith could sense a small amount of gratitude, mixed with shame.

It was a delicious combination to be sure.

_You are welcome,_ she thought, with a pleasant smile.

_Now live with the fact that you needed my help to survive._

Fenn and Xen Loor seemed okay; the two knew each other's moves and had dealt with their opponent with some ease. Vey and Jas Dar Bynn still lived as well, though the human Jedi was injured, he knelt on the deck clutching at his arm.

Avaryss could feel the Force flowing around the Jedi, his body cleansing itself through the power of the light.

Had the Jedi been poisoned? Terrog was not above using poisoned weapons.

She found herself grateful that the Fydon virus had not been used to coat the blade; it would be most unfortunate to lose Master Jas to such an ignoble end.

When he died, Avaryss wanted to be the one to kill him. She wanted him to die combat, as a test of both her skills and commitment

Such a death would be worth great prestige.

Their journey paused while Master Jas healed himself, Shyra and Fenn watched the path forward while Avaryss, Xen, and Holli watched the way they had come, to make sure no one was following in hopes of taking them in the rear.

Again Avaryss found Vey Ilo at her side, the Jedi wished to speak with her again, it seemed.

She rolled her eyes.

Wonderful.

"Thank you for saving my Padawan," she said, "Shyra will not say the words, but she is grateful as well."

Avaryss sneered.

"I was saving my engineer; we will need her when we reach the control room."

Vey smiled.

Apparently she did not believe the young Sith's pragmatic answer.

_So what_, Avaryss thought.

_Who gave a damn what the Jedi thought!_

"I will kill your apprentice, one day," Avaryss promised her.

"She will not be grateful when that day comes."

"If it comes," Vey said.

Avaryss shrugged.

They would see.

"My Padawan and I spoke of you when she returned from the Wreck; she did not understand why she felt so hostile towards you. You are not the first Sith she has faced."

"She should count herself lucky," Avaryss said, "Not many Jedi have survived encounters with me."

Vey twittered softly, a laugh the Sith supposed.

Perhaps the alien still did not understand what she was dealing with.

Avaryss was no mere lark.

She was servant of the dark side.

There was nothing to joke about, not when it came to her."

"You are much alike, in many ways," Vey said with a hint of a smile.

"It is no surprise that you do not get along; looking into a mirror can be hard at times."

Avaryss sneered at that.

"We are nothing alike."

"Are you sure," the Jedi asked, "Both of you were born into darkness. You have both pledged yourselves to the Force, and to orders and ideals that are bigger than yourselves, and you both are willing to give your lives in defense of those ideals."

Avaryss frowned.

The Jedi filth knew nothing.

"I'm a loyal daughter of the Empire," she said, "A servant and master of the dark side."

"And Shyra is true to the Jedi and the Republic," Vey said, "As I said, you two have much in common."

The young Sith's eyes narrowed.

The Jedi was mad! She had to be.

She reached out with the Force, her touch gentle the beast girl was her rival, she would see the difference between them. She would see…

Her breath caught in her throat.

She sensed Shyra Viel, her loyalty to her friends and master, her desire to protect the Republic and Jedi Order that had taken her in, and under that…beyond that.

When Shyra looked at Fenn, when she dared glance in his direction, she felt something else too.

Desire, wanting, the girl wanted Fenn to notice her, to see her as more than what he thought now.

She wanted his desire.

She wanted…his love.

Jealousy flared in Avaryss' breast.

**You can't have him, beast.**

**HE IS **_**MINE!**_

She might have attacked the girl then and there if there were not more of Terrog's monsters approaching them, both from the front and behind.

Avaryss snarled and drew her lightsaber. She harnessed her rage, the desire to kill the mongrel Jedi and turned it towards Terrog's pawns.

The creatures howled as they approach Avaryss and her allies.

More puppets, Avaryss thought, more pawns for them to destroy, but still no Terrog…

…And no Fehl.

The hate she felt in that moment for her former lover burned like acid in her veins.

She had never beaten Fehl in combat; in all the times that they had spared on Korriban she had never once defeated him.

She was determined to do so now, no matter what enhancements that Terrog had given him, they would not be enough.

She would destroy him utterly.

She would let Fenn watch, she would prove both her strength and her dominance by slaying Terrog's greatest champion.

He would see her superiority, and any affection he felt for a certain animal would never grow into anything else.

She would prove herself the strongest.

No matter what it took!

Master Jas made it back to his feet, he joined the others in the defense, but he slower now.

Still they made short work of Terrog's beasts, all but the one that travelled with them.

She would deal with that one…soon enough.

IOI

When they finally reached the con-comm Avaryss was in no mood for talking.

No sooner has the doors opened then she leapt into the room, killing anything in her path.

She fought like one possessed. Her hate and anger fueling her powers.

Fenn looked at her as she tore through the enemy, was he shocked by what he saw, was he impressed by her skill and savagery.

She could not say for sure, yet the bond between them remained strong.

Such a bond would be very hard to break.

The battle was over quickly, none of the guards or technicians here escaped, the droids had even been slagged.

Shyra walked up to her, a disapproving sneer on her face.

"You couldn't even spare those that were unarmed, could you?"

Avaryss wheeled on her, her red eyes burning like volcanic flame.

"We do not have time to coddle prisoners. Terrog must be stopped."

Holli slipped past the two interrupting any further conversation or argument.

The engineer plugged her data pad into the nearest console; she brought up the commands for the communication's system.

They would now have a direct link to the droids.

Now she had to decide what to do with it.

On the screen above the panel, they could see where the Sith Fleet waited, and also where the Republic Fleet had fallen back to when they realized what had happened.

Once the data spike was in, there would be no going back.

She needed to decide what she was going to do…now.

Holli contacted Taya and the two smugglers they had endured several attacks by Terrog Forces, but…they were standing by.

Avaryss took a closer look at the screen, at the deployment of the enemy force.

The droids still held their position between the two fleets and the station. Terrog's forces remained in-between and seemed to be forming up in some type of entrapment formation, preparing to deal with any ships who managed to fight their way through the droid blockade.

Avaryss smiled, they think that they are about to engage warships whose crews are dying from the plague their master unleashed.

They are in for a bit of a surprise.

"Lady Taya reports that we are ready, my lord," Holli said, "I await your command?'

Holli knew about Lord Feer's orders, Avaryss had sent a coded transmission to her pad via comlink. The Sith could see that she had multiple targets highlighted on the datapad's screen.

The Jedi hadn't picked up on that yet, and the Sith was using all of her will to shield her thoughts, to hide her emotions.

Avaryss' eyes narrowed as she looked down on the data spike.

What was she going to do now?

She could give the order to change the targeting perimeters for the droids as her master wanted, to sit back and watch them decimate the Republic fleet, but in doing so she would likely be dooming herself. The Jedi, especially Shyra Viel, would not look kindly on such treachery.

Was this what he master was hoping for?

Did he realize that this could result in her death?

Was he counting on that?

She idly fingered her lightsaber hilt, imagining what would happen if she tried to strike Fenn and his allies down.

The Force played out dozens of scenarios. They passed before her eyes in microseconds.

She destroyed the Republic fleet, she died.

She destroyed the Republic fleet, Xen and Holli died, and she spent the rest of her life in a Jedi prison.

She destroyed the fleet and she ended up crippled, only to be saved by Terrog turned into one of his half mechanical pets, and forced to fight at Fehl's side.

She died.

Holli died.

Fenn died.

Xen killed her for her weakness.

The Force swirled like a hurricane, the shard of light within her seemed to grow brighter by the second, pushing back the darkness, pushing back her power.

If she gave in now…what would happen?

What would she become?

"Target coordinates, my lord?" Holli asked.

Avaryss swallowed hard, she could feel the Jedi's eyes on her, Xen's eyes were on her.

What was she going to do?

She had reached a shatter point, what happened next would decide all their futures.

Destroy the Republic fleet.

Destroy the Sith fleet.

Destroy Terrog' fleet.

She looked down at the data spike again.

She knew what her master wanted, and what Lord Marr had commanded her to do, but his was about more than mere orders.

Her future could be defined by the next choice she made.

"My lord," Holli asked, she sounded…anxious.

"Target, please?"

Avaryss swallowed hard.

She did not know what to do.

_Obey._

_Refuse._

_Do the unexpected._

The darkness rose within her, but the shard of light drew strength from her connection to Fenn, it rose to meet the shadow, hold it at bay.

She…she…

She barely suppressed a whimper.

_**It felt like the Force was tearing her apart!**_

Thousands of possible futures bounced through her brain before returning to the ether. She…she…

Through the chaos and cacophony, she felt something; it pushed its way past what she was seeing and her desires.

She pursed her lips.

The song was low and sweet, it was not of the dark side or the light, but of her past or perhaps…her future.

She heard the voice of Mya Lylos, her mother. She was singing…

…a lullaby?

Keera had heard it since the cradle, had heard her mother sing it to her sisters in turn, it was old, perhaps before the days of the Empire. It was…

"You have not yet made your final choice," a voice whispered in her head.

She blinked.

"You can still find your way back."

She did not recognize that voice; it was not the darkness that often whispered in her ear. It was not the old man, or Keera Lylos…

Yet, in hearing those words, that song, she knew what she had to do, and damn the consequences.

She nodded.

She knew.

"It is time, Holli," she said grimly.

"Target the droids; make the things destroy each other."

She smiled savagely.

"Let us hurt, Darth Terrog."

"As you say," Holli said, her hands moving over the console.

She sensed relief behind her, from the Jedi, Holli fidgeted in her chair, but she obeyed.

"It is done, my lord," she said.

She picked up her comlink.

"Lady Taya," she said into it, "on my count: Three, two, one…"

The engineer slid the data spike into the console.

Ove the comlink Avaryss heard her old friend acknowledge that she had done the same.

The screen flashed as new orders were being sent from droid programming, and were now going out through the con/comm station.

On a monitor to the right of where Holli sat, they could all see a group of twelve probe droids leaving the station, these outfitted with the program that Holli had created, and downloaded into their CPU. When they reached their fellows they would send out the signal, send out the order for the droids to destroy themselves.

Avaryss let out a breath that she was holding.

The die had been cast.

"It will take several minutes," Holli informed them, "when they reach the blockade, they will send out our new orders to the rest."

Holli gave Avaryss a weak smile.

"We should see the results of our work in a few moments."

Avaryss nodded. She looked over at the Jedi; she felt a mix of emotion, surprise, gratitude, disbelief.

It was clear that most of them had not trusted her to do this, they had been expecting treachery.

She had surprised them…all, but one.

Fenn had never doubted her; she could sense that in the Force.

She had never lied to him.

They had been there for each other for most of their lives.

If there was anyone she would never lie to, it was him.

They watched as the blip that was their reprogrammed probes reached the others.

They watched.

They waited…

...and waited.

Then…

The screen began to flash, an alarm sounded from the console. Holli turned it off, but it did not change what was happening.

The droids they sent out were doing their work.

The probe droids were attacking each other.

Both Jedi and Sith watched as the swarm that protected the station, began to fall out of formation and begin to wink out one by one. The probe droids attacked their fellows with their cutting beams and arms, pulling each other apart.

The defensive screen would be down in moments.

The Sith Fleet detected the change and began to advance. The Republic Fleet did the same. Terrog's ships were reoriented themselves again, preparing to engage this new threat, launching fighters.

Avaryss should have been pleased, she could distantly hear the Jedi preparing for the next step of the plan, locating the vaccine, and then dealing with Terrog.

She could not join in the discussion.

She could not move.

Her eyes were glassy; there was an intense pain in her head. It felt like a vice squeezing her mind.

In that moment she saw her master's face, Darth Feer's eyes were blazing with anger, his lips pulled back in a snarl.

"_You've __**betrayed**__ me,"_ he said through the Force, his anger crashing over her in a wave.

"_You shall pay!"_


	67. Glory

**Chapter 67: Glory**

The connection between teacher and pupil was strong.

In the past, Avaryss had been able to hide things from her master, actions that she did not want him to know about. Her taking over of TCS for example, that secret had led to the young apprentice to build a vast fortune since she had made her deal with the Late Sego Thun's servant droid.

This time, however, she had no defense; her master had used their connection to monitor her progress. He was likely even now meditating in his chamber aboard _the Terror_, reaching out to her through the bond they shared.

Her decision to defy his direct orders had not gone unnoticed, not this time.

Darth Feer was not pleased.

Her world had faded away, she could not move or see the real world; she had been pulled completely into the Force, into the connection she shared with her master.

Pain and fury awaited her there.

It was now…all she knew.

She could barely think; her mind was both afire and at the same time being squeezed like it was stuck in a vice.

All she could see was her master's face, his cold disapproving gaze.

She could not even look away.

"Why must I always be disappointed," Feer's voice echoed through her mind, his words were lashes stinging her thoughts, like a whip that in the real world would have cut her flesh.

"Why must those that I take as my first apprentice always disappoint me? Why must I be forced to always punish those who serve me?"

Avaryss tried to struggle, to draw on her rage and free herself. Unlike in the past, she was surprised to discover that Feer's grip was not as total as it once would have been, she was able to push back…some of the pain at least, enough to think again, if nothing else.

Feer did not see to acknowledge that, if he would even care. He thought he had her completely at his mercy.

Sadly, he had just enough.

She was stronger than she had been in the past, but still not strong enough!

The realization of that infuriated her.

I've given everything to you, she wanted to say, I've obeyed your orders and slain your enemies, but this time…you were wrong. We could not risk this weapon falling into the hands of our enemies, or being released in an uncontrolled environment, it could have meant the end of us all. It could have been the end of the Empire itself.

She wanted to say those words, but all that came out through their connection was…

UGHHHHHHHH!

Feer's gaze narrowed, she felt the vice tighten, she felt his grip growing stronger, threatening to push her mind down into the dark, into the place that he had sent before…the first time he had punished her.

Panic nearly robbed her of her resolve.

NO! PLEASE!

NOT AGAIN!

"I thought of you as a daughter," Feer continued, "I thought you worthy of carrying on my legacy! Is this how a child repays that love?! Is this how you reward your father?!

Hearing those words brought a snarl to Avaryss' lips.

A daughter?

A child?!

She knew what Feer had done to his real daughter; cast her aside like garbage when she did not have the Force potential he desired. She still intended to make use of that one day, and would if she survived this.

Once again his words gave her the fuel she needed; it fed her rage and hate. She continued to armor herself in the dark side, to push back her master's iron will.

I will not be whipped like a defenseless youngling, she thought.

I am Avaryss! I am…DARTH Avaryss!

I am not your child, my master!

I'm your future executioner!

She discovered that she could think again, she was still in great pain, but it was not enough to keep her thoughts from flowing, from her mind working.

She glared at her master's cruel visage.

Just a little more, she thought.

…Just…a little more hate!

"You will answer for this betrayal, apprentice! I will flay your mind! I will leave you an empty husk on the floor of that station! Let your Jedi friends see the power of Darth Feer. "

She sensed his dark amusement, his laughter.

"Will your little Jedi toy mourn your breaking? I…I could not feel it before, your…affection, your connection to this whelp. You masked it well, but now…now I see it. I can feel it.

The pain tried to increase, but Avaryss held it back, her own will and anger starting to shield her.

She hissed.

You will leave Fenn alone!

He is MINE!

She no longer felt helpless. She no longer felt lost.

She was angry, the darkside blazed around her, burning away her masters iron grip. She was not strong enough to free herself, but she was strong enough to resist.

She would not go into her punishment like an infant.

She would fight!

She would push back.

She WOULD endure!

"We will destroy the station," Feer said, "Your crew and those Jedi will die with you, but you will not be there to see it, your mind will be gone, lost in the darkness. You will be…"

Avaryss had heard enough.

She pushed back. She freed herself with her rage, her white hot hatred burning away the grip he had held her in.

In that place within the Force, that place where their connection was strongest. Darth Avaryss stood her ground.

She was not just angry.

She was rage.

FURY!

She stood before her master, not bowing like a frightened child, but as a lord of the Sith, unbent and proud. She was unyielding.

She was resistance itself.

She sneered.

SHUT UP!" she roared.

"I'VE HEARD ENOUGH OF YOUR CHILDISH PRATTLING!"

She sensed Feer's shock, his disbelief!

_What?!_

**WHAT DID YOU SAY TO ME!?**

Her fingers curled into angry fists.

He would listen!

He _**would**_ hear her!

"I've given everything to you," she spat back; "I've hunted your enemies, and destroyed their powerbases. I've served your agenda, even when I did not agree with your position. I was a **good** apprentice! I was _**loyal!"**_

Feer lashed her with his fury, but she remained unbowed, unbroken.

"You forget yourself girl! Who you were when I found you?!

"Keera Lylos is dead! I'm not her, not anymore."

"YOU ARE MINE!"

Her mind and soul twisted painfully, Avaryss nearly fell to knees, nearly buckled.

"YOUR LIFE IS MINE! I CAN END IT RIGHT NOW! I WILL END IT RIGHT NOW!

"Insolent child!"

She felt herself being pushed back again, but this time she stood firm, she did not simply allow herself to be swept way.

The pain was not just hurting her, not anymore, it was helping her focus, her rage and hate had a clear target, and she used that hate to hold her in this moment, to keep her safe and give her hope.

She smiled coldly.

Her hatred of Darth Feer had never faded; it had only grown over the months of her apprenticeship.

It was helping her now, shielding her.

He could hurt her, if he chose, but when he threatened her power, when he threatened Fenn.

That was too far, master, she thought.

YOU have gone too far this time.

Avaryss may have been his apprentice, his student, but she was also a Sith. She was a Dark Lord of the Sith.

A dark lord would not be caged or disciplined like some unruly child.

She was Darth Avaryss.

She would be free!

She would be unbound!

Go to hell you bastard! She wanted to shout.

Go and burn in eternal torment!

She wanted to say that to him, but she did not, she saw the way out of this, the way to return to her life and glory!

She laughed.

"GO AHEAD!" she shouted into the ether.

"KILL ME! GO RIGHT AHEAD!"

The smile she gave him was as cold and pitiless as the void of space.

"KILL ME…AND YOU WILL LOSE…EVERYTHING!"

She held her ground, resisted the gravity of his rage, resisted until…

She felt it lessen.

She felt Feer's mind again, their connection not simply a conduit of his fury, but of his thoughts.

It seemed that he had been listening after all.

His eyes appeared before her.

"What do you mean, girl? Speak plainly?"

She almost laughed.

Blind fool!

She laughed again.

"You stand at the door to your dreams, my master. Your apprentice hold the key, she is THE KEY!"

"I will retrieve the vaccine to the Fydon virus! I will kill Terrog's apprentice! I will OBILTERATE Terrog! I will return in victory, dripping in blood and glory, but it is YOU that will profit most from my success!"

She let the darkside carry her, no longer did Feer appear as just a pair of giant eyes before her, her rage and fury had cut him down to size, he now stood not as a colossus, but as her master, they stood together, if not as equals than simply teacher and student.

He would listen.

She would make him hear her!

"Marr sent me; he KNOWS that I will succeed! I will be the symbol of your skill. You trained a hero of the Empire! No one will doubt you, but if I die here, my crew will be left leaderless, rudderless. The Jedi may turn my two apprentices back to the light; my soldiers will be killed or captured.

She snarled at the mere thought of that last part.

She was Avaryss.

She did not surrender what was hers.

"Darth Marr WILL destroy the station. The Jedi may die, but if they don't, if they manage to escape with the vaccine…

She shook her head.

"What if Terrog has hidden a cache of the virus? What if he planned one last vengeful strike against his enemies?"

She gave her master a distasteful look.

"Do you want to be the one responsible for leaving us defenseless? Do you want to be the one responsible for the Empire to have to go before the Jedi council and Republic Senate and beg for the cure, to plead for mercy?!"

She sneered down on her master.

"Do not be any more a fool than you already are?"

Feer's rage returned at her words.

"How dare you speak to me that way, I AM YOU MASTER!"

"Then ACT like one!"

She shook her head.

"A master must be both teacher AND student. You must see the weakness in your student, and through their eyes see your own weaknesses. We are stronger together than we are apart my master."

She pushed her rage down for a moment, back into the simmering cauldron where it could be summoned again when she needed it.

She dropped to one knee.

"You are my master," she said, "Do not throw away everything we have worked for because you disagree with a single choice I've made. My victory will be OUR victory."

She gave him a seductive smile.

"You want a seat on the dark council, it will be yours. You want Terrog's holdings, they will be yours, but only if we remember the promise we made to each other back on Korriban. We _**need**_ to stand together, an alliance of fear and avarice. Remember?"

She bowed her head submissively.

"Let me give you the galaxy, my master, say the word and it is yours."

She sighed, she knew what she had to say next, but it was not easy, it never was.

"What is thy bidding, my master?"

She could feel his cold regard, feel his anger at her insolence, but also a sense of…pride? Affection?

"What if you fail?" he asked.

"Then I will be dead, and you will be free of me. I will have proven myself unworthy of your training."

She looked up at him.

"Please…father," she said, "Let me give you the galaxy."

She sense her master's thoughts, his emotions, he was considering her offer, what she had said.

Finally, the pain she had been in stopped.

She stood at her master's side, he was grinning.

"Time and my training have made my apprentice wise beyond her years," he said with a good natured chuckle.

"Go forth, my child, bring me the galaxy."

"It will be done, my lord."

He nodded his expression stern.

"We will discuss your future upon your return. Your insolence will need to be answered for; the degree of your punishment will depend entirely on your success."

She smiled.

"Then I will endeavor for total success, my lord."

"Do so, my apprentice."

"Do so."

IOI

Avaryss blinked and stumbled, the sensation of coming back from the Force was…disorienting.

"Keera?" Fenn was at her side, holding her up.

"Are you okay?"

She shook her head and coughed.

Her hand went to her nose.

Blood had been running down it, but the flow seemed to have stopped.

She nodded.

Her master has left her with a not so subtle reminder of their future conversation.

"How long was I out?" she asked her dream friend.

"Out," he asked, sounding confused, "You just froze for a moment or two, are you okay?"

Avaryss almost chuckled.

So their conversation had taken no time at all. Yet it had seemed to redefine her entire life.

Ironic.

"We cannot stay here much longer, my master," Xen said looking out at the other walkways, Terrog forces could be seen on them, moving like angry ants.

Avaryss frowned.

No, they could not stay here any longer.

She looked at her engineer.

"Holli, could Terrog use this console to reverse what we just did?"

"He could, my lord, we should…"

Avaryss hissed in naked fury.

She drew her lightsaber.

Holli squeaked and leapt out of the way.

Avaryss took her weapon to the console, she howled as she slashed it to pieces, her anger at Feer's chastisement needed to be released.

This was as good a moment as any.

She did not stop until the blood faded from her eyes, until the console was smashed beyond repair.

She took a shuddering breath, as her blade vanished back into its hilt.

Shyra Viel rolled her eyes.

"Feeling better?" the mongrel asked dryly.

Avaryss' eyes narrowed.

Insolent beast, she thought.

Stay away from my man!

She cleared her throat and stood taller.

She pulled out her comlink.

She contacted Taya.

"Destroy that control room," she ordered, "Our enemy must not be able to send out any more of their plague bearers."

"It will be done, Avy," came back the response.

"The return to the ship, make sure that Rink and the others are still holding.

"It will be done."

Taya broke the connection

The Sith nodded.

She was pleased.

Now, she thought, onto the vaccine, and to take Terrog's head!

She smiled hungrily.

The former was business; the latter would be a pleasure, and a favor to the entire universe.

She could barely contain her excitement.

The group left the control room, they continued their ascent, following the Force, they could sense the darkness up ahead, Terrog and his apprentice.

Blaster bolts flashed from a nearby walkway, more Sith troopers, more traitors!"

Avaryss' blade flashed, she sent the blasts back into the faces of those that fired them, the beauty of Shien on display.

The bodies of her enemies fell off the walkway.

She felt the darkness surge within her again.

It was wonderful!

Delicious!

It was…

She paused.

Her mother's song filled her head again, the lullaby.

_You have not made your final choice._

_Not yet._

She blinked.

She did not have time for this now!

Terrog was still breathing.

Her enemy awaited.

More misshapen creatures emerged through a blast door from the level above them.

She grinned hungrily.

More victims to slaughter!

Xen was at her side, her cross guarded lightsaber flared to life, its blades rippling like an unrestrained inferno!

The two Sith lunged ahead of the Jedi, let them fight defensively.

The Sith way was aggression and naked fury!

Avaryss was eager to indulge herself.

She wanted glory.

She wanted blood!

She would have both.

The monsters tried to push them back, but the two Sith were not alone.

The Jedi were there too.

Fenn was there.

They were standing back to back now, the Force singing between them, not light or dark, but radically both!

Two sides of the same coin.

Two halves of a single whole!

Dark and light.

Man and woman.

"Try to control yourself," he said, "leave some for the rest of us."

She laughed.

"Try to lose control once and awhile," she advised, "It can be most liberating."

"I will take your word for it," he said.

She could sense his excitement through the Force.

He was enjoying this as much as she was.

She laughed again.

It felt good…the two of them together.

It felt right!

She noticed Master Jas watching them, how they moved as one.

What did the Jedi see when he saw that?

What did he think was happening?

He had told her once that he believed that peace between the Empire and the Republic was possible. He thought that the Sith just needed the right person in a place of power, someone to convince the others."

Did he think that person was her?

Did he actually believe the woman who had hunted his brother; that gave the order for his death was the one that would be the bridge that he sought?

Avaryss almost laughed.

Ridiculous!

She was no chosen one. She was NOT the Sithari.

She had heard the legend of course, the prophecy, the _perfect_ Sith, the one that would lead the order to an era of unlimited power, the one whose plans would destroy the Jedi and conquer the Republic...

The one that would destroy the Sith as well, and see the order reborn in a new and unstoppable form!

The thought of doing that made her shake her head.

She was far from the perfect Sith. The light burned brightly in her still, a shard of it anyway. If anyone was the Sithari, it was likely the Emperor himself, he had destroyed the lords that had failed to prevent the Sith holocaust, had gained immortality from that act.

She could see the emperor as their chosen one, and she would do all in her power to see his empire grow stronger, and one day, when he chose to pass on, she would be willing to take up his mantle, to continue his glorious work.

It would be an honor and a privilege.

It would be a galaxy under the Sith, a galaxy of order and security, a galaxy that would one day bow to the Sith in humble gratitude. A galaxy free of the illusion of freedom, and the mockery that called itself the Republic.

She welcomed that day with open arms.

IOI

The station shook as the group entered the next section.

Avaryss looked up at the ceiling and nodded.

"Sounds like explosions on the surface," she said.

"The Republic fleet must have gotten through," Jas Dar Bynn said.

"Or the Sith fleet," Avaryss added.

She reached out with the Force trying to get a sense for what was going on.

What she sensed was chaos!

Terrog's forces had not fled when the droids had destroyed themselves. Despite the loss, they were not standing down. It seemed that they had chosen to fight to the death for their new master; or rather they knew that their lives were all forfeit.

A death in battle over one on the executioner's block, she could see the appeal.

She would have chosen battle herself.

Better to die on ones feet than on ones knees.

The section they found themselves in was more lab space and research rooms. Unlike the station up until now, this place seemed to have been altered to fit Sith standards, for someone who had grown up in the Empire.

Avaryss noticed many Sith glyphs; the machinery here was reproductions of a much older technology,

Sith alchemy, she thought, it seems that Terrog was not merely content to use Rakata tech.

She smiled.

How fortunate, for her.

She approached one of the machines, several foot long crystals connected by a metal frame.

She did not know what it did, and she did not care.

It was the crystals that matters.

She reached out and pulled one from its place in the frame.

She shuddered when she touched it. It seemed to sing with the dark side.

Glorious!

"What are you doing?"

Shyra Viel stood before her, looking suspicious.

Avaryss smiled.

"Merely taking a trophy," Avaryss lied, "Surely you would not forbid me taking a keepsake of this mission?"

The Jedi growled and continued on.

Avaryss smirked.

Foolish creature.

She looked down at the crystal. An idea was starting to take root in her mind, a plan for when she did finally face Darth Terrog.

She ran her finger down the length of the crystal, letting her finger drift to the end, the very sharp and pointed end.

The Sith nodded thoughtfully.

Perfect.

She was no alchemist, but she was a sorceress, crystals could be used in her area of study as well.

The spell she whispered now was very old, another gift from the scrolls she had found within the forgotten tomb where she had had her final trial on Korriban.

The ancient Sith buried there had been a sorceress too, the spells she had recorded were quite powerful, and perhaps even thought lost to time, until Avaryss had found the scrolls.

She had studied those spells in the months she had served her master, some she had not had materials necessary to use them, and this crystal offered her a unique opportunity. She would…

"My lord!"

Holli's words drew her out of her revelry, the engineer was up ahead; she had been plugged into another computer terminal.

She had a triumphant grin on her face.

"I've found it my lord," she declared, it is on this level!"

"What is?" she asked, though she suspected what it was the changeling had found.

She entered a command on her data pad.

The wall next to the Sith hissed opened.

Another series of lab equipment appeared before them, a strange milky white substance filled several large containers, several injection guns sat nearby

Avaryss reached out to the substance with the Force, it felt not of death, but of life, the continuance of it; a subtle change that made all the difference.

The Sith smiled.

They had found the vaccine to Darth Terrog's plague.

They had found the weapon that would make his work irrelevant.

The Sith was most pleased.

"This is the cure to the virus?" Fenn asked.

"It is a vaccine," Avaryss clarified, "It changes the body just enough to make sure that the virus cannot cause the mutations that strip the Force from those that can feel it."

"How do we know it works," Shyra asked, sniffing the air around it.

Avaryss almost laughed.

"Because Terrog used me as a test animal," she confessed, "His apprentice injected me back on Dromund Kaas. The virus had no effect on me after that. Of course, to protect a person it needs to be injected in its pure form. You can't simply harvest the vaccine from one who has been treated. Our scientists figured that out."

"And ours," Vey added. "A Jedi on one of the worlds that was attacked was also injected by one of Terrog's minions, he did not sicken."

Avaryss nodded, it made sense that Terrog would do so, to show the Republic that he had the means to vaccinate others.

Not that it mattered now.

The vaccine was theirs.

The prize was in their hands.

"Holli, ready the vaccine for transport. I need to get it out of here."

"I?" Jas Dar Bynn asked her.

She chuckled.

"We then," she said, "I assume that Darth Marr offered you a chance to claim a sample of the vaccine as well?"

"He did," Vey informed her, "He helped us sneak inside the blockade in exchange for our promise not to stop his agents from claiming a sample as well."

The Jedi smiled.

"I'm guessing that agent was you."

"I suppose so," Avaryss said.

She turned back to Holli.

Prepare two samples of the vaccine, she ordered, "The treaty and the promises of the council must be honored."

"Just like that?" Shyra asked, still suspicious of Avaryss' motives.

The Sith did not blame her.

She was only doing this to maintain the balance of power.

Neither side would need to fear Terrog or his virus after this.

The empire would be safe, Avaryss thought.

Fenn would be safe.

She cared nothing for his Republic, only him.

The boy will become your greatest weakness, the darkness whispered.

Perhaps, she thought.

But it was a weakness that she was more than willing to endure.

They were one.

She would not risk a part of herself, not if she did not have to.

It did not take long to prepare two cases for transport; the whole extraction process was automated. Soon the two groups had their respective prizes. The Jedi tended to theirs while Avaryss and her allies tended to theirs, made sure it was secure and ready for travel.

Avaryss gave hers to Xen; she motioned for Holli to join them.

"Get this back to the Fury," she ordered, "Guard it with your lives."

"Of course, master," Xen said grinning, "I will kill any that try to take it.

Holli blinked, realizing something.

"You are not coming back with us, my lord?"

Avaryss shook her head.

"Terrog and his apprentice are still here, the Force is with them."

"They must answer for their crimes, master," Xen said, "They cannot be allowed to escape."

"Escape is not their plan," Avaryss said with certainty.

Terrog has fallen too far to simply flee now, the battle may be turning against him, but who knows what weapons this station might possess, what other horrors that Terrog might have stored in its vaults.

They could not risk the dark lord surprising them, pulling out some surprise and destroying the fleet; he needed to be dealt with…now.

"I go to face him," Avaryss informed her allies, "alone."

Avaryss spun away her cloak billowing behind her.

She felt the darkness surging within her, the eagerness.

Terrog was up ahead, waiting, and at his side, stood Fehl.

She was ready.

She would destroy them both!

She had barely left the lab when she heard footsteps behind her.

She paused.

Really?

"Going somewhere, witch?"

She sighed and turned, Fenn and Shyra were both there.

"This is none of your concern," she said.

"This is Sith business."

"You are going after him, aren't you?" Fenn asked.

Avaryss nodded.

"We are coming to," he said.

"Don't you have a vaccine to see to safety?" Avaryss asked.

""The masters will handle its safe return to the True Heart," Shyra said with a growl.

The beast girl's eyes narrowed.

"Terrog is mine."

"You wish to pay him back for your creation do you?" Avaryss said, "To thank him for bringing you into this world a species of one?"

"I'm going to bring him to justice," the beast girl said."

Avaryss almost laughed.

"He is a Sith Lord. He does not care about your justice."

"If he resists, I will kill him."

Fenn chuckled.

"Wow," he said, "Lot of intensity in here right now."

He smiled at the two girls.

"Look I can sense that Terrog has hurt you, both of you. If you go in there all full of righteous fury you are going to die."

He sighed.

"Good thing that I'm coming along then, to keep you both balanced."

_No,_ Avaryss almost shouted.

_Terrog had already stolen Fehl from her._

_She did not want to lose Fenn._

_She couldn't!_

"You should stay," Shyra said.

"It is too dangerous," Avaryss added.

Now he did laugh.

"Wow you two finally agree on something, amazing."

Shyra glared at Avaryss, who glared right back.

"You feel strange in the Force when this witch is around," the beast girl growled.

"I don't trust her around you."

Fenn gave her a soft smile.

"Thank you for your concern Shyra, but it doesn't change anything.

He looked at Avaryss.

"The Force is leading us to something; you feel it to, don't you?"

She nodded.

There was something coming, she did not know if this was it, or if this was simply another step on a longer journey.

The station shook again, this time they could hear the explosion outside.

"We don't have time to simply stand around," Fenn said, "This station is probably not long for the galaxy, it doesn't matter who blows it up, Republic or Empire."

Avaryss nodded.

"Terrog cannot be allowed to disappear in the flames, if he escapes…"

"He won't," Shyra said her hand on the hilt of her lightsaber.

"Then the path is clear. _Our_ path is clear," Fenn said, drawing his own weapon, he ignited the blade, a beam of aqua colored fire pointed forward.

"After you ladies," he said.

Avaryss chuckled.

Few in the galaxy would call her a lady, she doubted the mongrel would be so addressed either.

Shyra smiled a wide mouth full of sharp teeth.

"You ready witch?" she asked.

Avaryss smirked.

"I was born ready, mongrel.

She ignited her lightsaber, bathing her face in crimson light.

"Let's finish this."


	68. Connection

**A/N: Happy New Year Everyone! Happy Anniversary SWTOR: A NEW SITH! Avy's journey began a year ago. Hope you enjoyed the ride and will stay with me as this chapter concludes and another begins. Well without further ado…let's continue! **

**Chapter 68: Connection**

They had managed to find a turbolift.

Avaryss reached out with the Force, trying to get a sense of what might be waiting on the upper levels of the station. All the walk ways and balconies all seemed to lead to his point, a single shaft that seemed to lead out of the spherical center of the station and up into the towers above. A master control deck for the station, perhaps?

She was not sure if it that was the case, but if it was…they were drawing closer to their quarry.

If Terrog and his apprentice were anywhere, they would be there.

She took a deep breath and tried to center herself anew. The fighting had only grown more intense since leaving the Control and Communications room behind. Terrog had to know they were here now. He had to _know_ they were coming for him.

That thought excited her.

_Do you know what is coming, traitor? Do you know what will happen when we reach you, or are you too blinded by your desires? Do you only see yourself as the Living Will of the Force?_

However he saw himself, it would not save him.

Her blade would find its mark.

Terrog's guards had not been able to hold them back, with the exception of the augmented assassins they had fought on the way up, most of these had been traditional troopers. It had been these that had unleashed the various…creatures that they had faced. These unfinished experiments had slowed them, but had not prevented their advance. They had been diverting, but nothing more.

Avaryss found herself a bit…disappointed by the response they had received, surely Terrog must know by now the quality of his enemy. Yet he still seemed unwilling or unable to face them directly, to halt their advance in anyway with the exception of sending his puppets.

A mistake on the dark lord's part, she thought.

She would make sure that he did not live to regret it.

The three of them said nothing as the turbolift rose, the control for the lift only had a single button, where ever it led, they would likely have company as soon as the doors opened.

She could feel her Jedi companions gathering the Force to them. She did the same, playing the mental games she used to focus her rage and bring her powers to full bloom.

The dark side aura of this place made that even easier. Avaryss welcomed its aid. Whatever awaited them would be far more challenging than the response they had faced up to this point.

It was best to be ready.

It was best to be prepared to draw blood.

She could sense Shyra Viel's excitement through the Force. The beast girl was eager to confront her maker. She kept her emotions in check…mostly, but she could not completely hide her desires. Avaryss had seen those desires during her their time together on the Wreck. The mongrel had been disappointed that Terrog had not come himself to try to stop her.

A strange thought occurred to her.

_What will you be once Darth Terrog is dead Shyra Viel? What will you be when you no longer have him to focus your darker impulses? The connection she felt to her creator was strong._

_What would happen to the creation when the creator was finally dead; when that link was finally broken?_

Would she stay true to the Jedi code, or would she realize just how powerful that anger could make her?

It would be interesting to see what came out of all this, not that the Jedi had a free pass to the traitor. Avaryss desired his death too.

She was not the type to be denied, but, she suspected, neither was the beast girl.

The Sith recognized that she would likely have competition when it came to killing her master's rival, that did not worry her, despite his treason, Terrog was still a Darth.

A Darth did _**not **_die easy. The beast girl Jedi would learn that soon enough. If she failed, Avaryss hoped that she would at least wound the dark lord. She was not above taking such an advantage.

As long as Terrog did not survive their next meeting, she would be happy.

Fenn's presence continued to bolster both her power and her desire to see this through. She could sense her dream friend's worry, he was not a fool and no doubt understood what was about to happen.

It does not matter, Avaryss thought.

We've come too far to stop now.

She would have preferred that he had not followed her up here. Terrog and Fehl were her problem.

Plus, she was not sure how Fenn would react when he met Fehl for the first time. It sounded kind of stupid, but…she did not want Fenn to judge her for what had happened back on Korriban between her and Fehl, especially considering the state that Terrog had left her former lover in.

_I would have preferred to face Fehl alone, _she thought_, but that was not what the Force had in mind._ Besides, she had gotten a taste of his skills back at the Feer estate. Fehl would not fall easy.

It would be useful to have an ally or two at her side. If anything their presence here would keep her centered, keep her from letting her emotions run completely wild.

Such a release could lead to great power, but given the enhancements and skills that Fehl possessed, some restraint might prove useful.

She took a deep breath and let it out quickly.

She had no desire to die because she came at Fehl and his master with only fire and no ice. Passion made a Sith superior, but sometimes it needed to be tempered with skill and patience.

You needed to know just where to center those emotions, to use them for maximum effect.

Avaryss thought that she could do that. She had come so far in the last few months.

She was no longer the girl that had left Korriban with her master.

She had grown strong, and now she had the chance to prove it.

The turbo lift slowed and came to a stop, the two Jedi and the Sith readied themselves for what came next.

The door hissed open revealing another large room, this one filled with more lab equipment and row after row of birthing tanks. These machines were large table like structures with one large central vat on top, and ringed with twenty smaller ones. Some of these containers were the size of a full grown person, the others smaller, perfect for the holding of infant subjects.

Both the sight of the place and the way it felt in the Force only further fueled Avaryss' anger. Not at what the Dark Lord had done here, but what he had failed to do, what he could have done.

_There had been no reason to raise Fehl in his fallen body_,_ no reason to leave him as a monster_, she thought, _Terrog could have grown him a new body, a __**perfect**__ body. _

Of course, if he had done that, then it was far more likely that Fehl would have rebelled against him, went off in search of her. Fehls' cybernetic parts limited him, made him a more pliable weapon.

Terrog had not wanted an apprentice; he wanted Fehl to be a weapon, a blunt instrument in his service.

It wasn't right!

It was sacrilege!

_You must kill him,_ the darkness whispered, _not just because he is Terrog's creature, but because he has become an insult to all that he had been before._

_You must free him from his chains._

The machines hummed as they stepped out of the lift and out into the lab.

The Sith girded herself for battle.

_Let us end this then._

_Let us see what the traitor is made of._

She was about to take the lead when the mongrel pushed past her with an angry growl. Avaryss could feel the anger radiating off of her, the rage she felt being in a place like this.

No…not just rage she realized, Shyra Viel was not merely angry…she was scared.

_Old memories,_ Avaryss wondered, _did being in this place bring back anything to the beast girl?_

She thought of teasing her rival again.

No, not now, not when they all needed to stay focused.

They were too close to their real enemy.

What had Shyra expected when she chose to follow Avaryss up here? She claimed that she wanted her creator's blood, but was that only part of the equation? Did she want more? Did she want to understand exactly what had motivated Terrog to make her all those years ago?

_What would be the point_, the Sith wondered, _after all this time…who really cared?_

If Shyra had come here looking for answers, Avaryss did not suspect that Terrog would give them up easily, if at all. Best to forget about such things and focus on ending this threat; that is what she intended to do.

For the empire.

She and Fenn followed after her, slowly reaching out with the Force trying to sense what threats awaited them up ahead.

They did not have to wait long.

Nine crimson armored warriors leapt out of their hiding place, their weapons were a collection of vibro-pikes, lightsabers, and electro staves.

Avaryss sneered at the sight.

_What were __**these**__ supposed to be, Terrog's royal guard? For someone who had supposedly risen above Sith politics and power games, he still liked to using symbols of power that only a Sith could truly appreciate._

_You are nothing to me_, she thought as she looked at the defenders. _You are just obstacle in path._

She smiled hungrily.

Now…it is time to move you.

Before she could take the lead and attack Shyra let out a terrifying howl and lunged at the closest guardsman. He tried to bring up his lightsaber, but was too slow.

The beast girl did not even bother with her lightsaber. Her thick claws racked through the thick fabric that only partially protected the guard's neck. He spun around his head only barely attached, likely only held together by a bit of skin bone, and what was left of his armor.

Shyra did not let him fall; she Force pushed the body into the two closest guardsmen they went down in a tumble of weapons, armor and limbs.

She spun her blade around and moved in for the kill.

The remaining soldiers tried to surround her and close the kill box. It might have worked had the mongrel been alone.

Fenn and Avaryss did not let it happen; they joined the fight, the Force singing within them both. What followed was a dance, both chaotic and beautiful. It was a dance of life and death.

The young Sith reveled in it. She was eager to test these soldiers. Typically, crimson armor on a guard signified that these were the best of the best.

I don't believe it, she thought to herself.

Let's put it to the test.

The three that came for her tried to cut her off from her allies, they tried to surround her. One was wielding a lightsaber, the other two wielding vibro-pikes.

Avaryss snarled; she spun her bladed daring her enemy to try and close in. The two with pikes tried to pin her in place while the third moved to engage her blade upon blade.

The saber wielders attacks were fast, but…predictable. This warrior used only the basics of Shii-Cho; she could have overpowered him easily.

Disappointing.

She had no wish to play with him, not when she had so many toys that she could use.

She reached out with the Force and found one of the birthing tanks, she tore the power cables from it, and pulled them to her, ensnaring the saber wielder, the power flowing through it must have been intense because he was electrocuted in a matter of seconds. His burning corpse fell at her feet, twitching from the voltage.

Avaryss smiled.

One down…two to go.

She dodged as one of the pike wielders tried to run her through. She spun around him, driving her elbow into his back sending him stumbling forward, when his ally tried to take advantage, she caught the guard in a Force grip and sent him flying back, crashing into one of the growth tanks, it shattered spilling both fluid and whatever it was had been growing inside, the still-born the creature flopped around on the floor. The guard found himself impaled on a chunk of the broken tank, despite this, it still tried to fight, pull itself free.

She had little time to admire her work; the first attacker was back once again jabbing with his weapon, trying to catch her with its point. She parried his attack; the pike withstood her lightsaber, its bladed edge causing her to back up a few steps.

Her enemy whirled his weapon trying to find a way past her guard. Avaryss back pedaled and once again, drawing him in closer. Then she reached out for the damaged tank. She tore it from its moorings and sent it rolling towards her opponent. The smaller growth vats shattered as the machine turned into a giant death wheel.

The guard only had mere seconds to recognize the danger and react.

He managed a vertical leap that saved him from being crushed, but a severed oxygen line hooked his foot. The guard came down hard on the broken machine, his armor getting caught on the shattered smaller vats. The machine continued on its journey. It rolled over and over, crushing the injured pike man, his armor held for a few rolls, but it did not last beyond that.

The machine rolled into the wall, and broke up burying both of the guardsmen beneath the wreckage. Their presences in the Force finally winked out.

Avaryss grinned triumphantly.

Three down…zero to go, she thought, I win!

Something sparked within the wreckage…

…the machine exploded, violently.

She was flung back hard.

She reached out with her powers. Time slowed, but even then she barely had enough time to shield herself, to cocoon herself in the Force.

She collided with yet another tank, rupturing it, and covering herself in broken glass and amniotic fluid. Unlike the two guards, her armor held, saving her.

The young Sith found herself briefly submerged as the contents of the vat emptied on the floor.

By the Emperor she thought what a stench!

Disgusting!

Avaryss spit and sputtered, she stank of chemicals as pure oxygen blew into her face from a broken air hose.

She found herself eye to eye with the vat's occupant, a half formed creature that looked almost human.

As she tried to rise, the thing woke up; it looked at her with angry eyes…Sith eyes!

Its fingers reached out and seized her…grasping her by the throat!

It attacked her, started choking her, trying to either crush her neck or shove her head down into the chemicals within the vat, trying to drown her.

She struggled, but to no avail…

…even though they were only half formed those hands had a grip like iron.

**No**, Avaryss tried to gasp.

**LET GO!**

The thing let out a gurgling cry, part sob part angry snarl, it had no idea where it was; it had not been ready to have been born yet.

Avaryss grabbed its arms, trying to pull it away. Spots danced before her eyes as its fingers tightened more and more. It…

_**VMMMMM!**_

A blade of blue fire flashed before her face, it momentarily blinded Avaryss causing her to gasp and look away.

The grip around her neck was gone; the body sank back into the tank, its hands clawing at the empty air.

Avaryss coughed and looked up.

Fenn stood over her, his blade lit. He had saved her once again, beheading the…abomination.

She did not thank him, not with words, through their connection to the Force…he knew.

He _always_ knew.

He nodded.

My hero, she thought.

My shining knight.

She wiped at her eyes, trying to clear her vision.

"Is…is that it?" she coughed.

"Is there anymore?"

The area around the turbolift was a broken mess, small fires, machines turned over, the stench of amniotic fluid from the broken tanks mixing with the smell of burn metal and plastic.

Avaryss looked around as Fenn pulled her out of the damaged machine. Glass snapped as she rose back to her feet, its jagged points were both sharp and lethal. Had she had managed to shield herself with the Force at the last moment?

Had she not…the broken glass likely would have skewered her.

She…**they** had all been fortunate.

No more guards remained standing.

They had won.

She found her feet with Fenn's help. Fires flickered from damaged tanks whose emergency lights blinked on and off.

What had been growing inside those tanks was either dead or dying.

It was not a pleasant sight to see.

They found Shyra kneeling over a small shape, a half formed beastling that had ended up on the floor of the chamber when its growing vat had been broken. Not yet fully grown, the creature seemed unable to survive out of its artificial womb.

The creature whimpered weakly, its features morphing as they watched, just as Shyra's did when she was angry. The Jedi reached out with the Force, comforting the dying creature.

"It is okay," the Jedi girl cooed, running her large fingers over the things misshapen head.

"It will be over soon," she said the words with tears in her eyes.

"It…it will be over soon."

The creature tried to rise, to crawl, but it fell back, a weak whimpering cry escaped its tiny mouth, it cried, gurgled, convulsed, and then it fell silent.

Avaryss sensed its presence wink out in the Force.

It was gone.

The Sith nodded.

Good riddance, she thought.

The beast girl sighed and shook her head.

She tried to close the things eyes, but could not do it.

She bowed her head and whimpered.

Neither Avaryss nor Fenn said anything.

What could they say?

Shyra finally looked up; her eyes finding Avaryss.

She growled a low feral growl from the back of her throat. The Sith had to control the urge to take a step back. The Jedi's anger was so potent in that moment it almost took her breath away.

"Damn you Sith," she spat.

"Damn your _**entire**_ race!"

She rose and got up in Avaryss' face, her eyes flashing, her nostrils flaring.

Avaryss sneered down at her.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked dryly.

Fenn went to them, stepped between.

"Shyra," he said, "Calm down."

"Calm down," she hissed, "Calm down! Look around you Fenn, do you see any reason that I should calm down?!"

"Remember your teachings, Jedi," Avaryss said mockingly.

"Anger is the path to the dark side."

Another animalistic growl emerged low and menacing from the beast girl. Her eyes never leaving Avaryss, The potential for violence burned between them.

Avaryss kept her hand on her lightsaber.

"This is all your fault," Shyra snapped, "You and your foul Empire!"

"You are no better than Terrog."

"I've come to stop him," Avaryss reminded her, "Just like you."

"That is not fair, Shyra," Fenn said, still trying to get between the two, trying to stop this from going any further.

"Keera is not our enemy," he said, "She came to help."

Shyra looked up at him, her eyes wide and full of surprise.

"Really," she asked, "REALLY? You honestly believe that?!"

She turned back to Avaryss her eyes cold and merciless.

"Keera," she spat the name like it was a curse, like it was something detestable, "Why don't you call this thing by its real name. Keera is the name for a person, a person worthy of redemption. This thing's name is Avaryss…she is a Sith Lord remember?"

The Jedi girl radiated disdain, but she looked on her friend with both worry and fear.

"What is going on," she demanded.

"Nothing is going on," Fenn replied.

Avaryss gave her a sly smile.

_What do you think is going on, mongrel?_ She thought.

_Use your imagination._

The girl was not even looking at her now, her focus, her concern was all for her fellow Jedi.

"This…this witch is doing something to you," Shyra said, "Fenn…can't you feel it. She is using some kind of trick on you. She is trying to change you."

"That is not my power," Avaryss said, "I never had a talent for mind tricks."

"Silence, witch, the beast girl spat.

Avaryss shrugged.

Whatever, she thought.

She will never understand, what Fenn shared with Avaryss was something special, something that could not be quantified.

He is mine, she thought, and you can't have him mongrel.

You will never have him.

"Nothing is going on, Shyra," her dream friend said, trying to sooth his fellow Jedi, "Keera…Avaryss and I…we have known each other for years. We have been connected through the Force for…"

"She is using you."

"She isn't.

"She is," Shyra growled at Avaryss her eyes narrowing; her teeth showing as her muzzle began to stretch out.

"You may have known this Keera for years, but she is not Avaryss, she never was."

"Fenn…do you not know why the Sith take new names? Why they separate themselves from the people they were. They do it because they are afraid of their pasts, they do it to let go of anything that may hold them back as they pursue greater power. Any reminder of that past is eliminated, friends, family, anything that could remind them of who they once were."

Shyra reached out and touched her friend's arm.

"She cares nothing for you, only what you can give her. There is nothing left in her but lies and deceit. I can feel it radiating off of her, why can't you?"

Avaryss frowned.

The girl knew nothing about her.

Her opinions on the Sith showed both her ignorance and her naiveté. The Sith did not hide what they were, they did not take new names to run from the past. They let go of the past, and embraced the full power of the dark side.

A Sith could not let what they were restrain them, the chains of the past were strong, but through power and sacrifice they could be cast aside.

Through victory, my chains are broken, the Force shall free me.

Those words were not empty.

That being said, the passions of a Sith should not be underestimated.

You are wrong about me, mongrel she thought.

Dead wrong.

"You have no idea who I truly am, Shyra Viel," she said, "You have no idea how I feel."

For a moment she thought that the little Jedi might try to attack her. She thought that beast girl might try to protect Fenn by killing her. It would be a foolish gesture, but…

How would Fenn respond to such an attempt, would he protect the girl he had known his whole life, or would he side with his fellow Jedi?

One day, she would need to answer that question.

One day, but not now.

Avaryss sighed.

"Now is not the time for this, she reminded the two Jedi. We can settle our own affairs later, once Terrog has been stopped."

The Sith smiled.

"That is why we are all here, yes?"

Shyra remained silent, from the look in her eyes she considered Avaryss as great a threat as Terrog.

Was her concern for Fenn merely a Jedi's concern for one of their fellows, or was her concern that of a young woman who desired a man?

Did the mongrel consider her a rival for Fenn's affection?

If that was the case, she would lose.

Fenn was Avaryss.'

And he always would be.

"Keera is not wrong, Shyra," Fenn said, we cannot afford to be fighting each other while our real enemy is still free."

Again the beast girl growled, but this time Avaryss felt her stepping back from her anger, her Jedi training taking over again.

"First Terrog," she said grimly, "Then…Avaryss and I finish this."

The Sith laughed lightly.

"If that is what you want," she said

Shyra Viel said nothing more; she pulled away from her allies and took the lead again. Avaryss could hear her sniffing the air, perhaps looking for a way out of the lab.

Fenn stayed at her side; through their connection she could feel his concern, not just for his fellow Jedi, but for Avaryss as well.

It was sweet of him to worry, but in the end irrelevant.

She and the beast girl were on a collision course.

One day, they would collide, and only one would walk away.

Such was the way of things.

"Are you okay?" Fenn asked her.

"Fine," Avaryss said dismissively, wiping idly at the amniotic slime that now stained her cloak and robes.

She followed after Shyra. Reaching out with the Force she tried to sense Terrog, trying to follow his dark presence to where ever it was he was hiding.

One battle at a time Avaryss thought...

First Terrog…and then it would be the mongrel's turn.

She found herself looking forward to the encounter. Almost as much as…

Avaryss stopped her eyes narrowing.

She felt a familiar echo through the Force, a presence that was both desired and despised.

Finally, she thought.

I wondered what I had to do to draw you out of hiding.

She quickened her pace, Fenn followed behind them acting as a rear guard.

Avaryss did not even try to mask her presence; there was no longer any need.

If they wanted Terrog, they would need to get through his apprentice first, his tool.

Fehl.

The Sith's hands curled into angry fists.

It is time, my love, she thought.

She found herself feeling both excited and sad at the same time. This would be the last time they would be together, one way or the other.

She steeled herself for battle, gathering her anger…turning it to hatred.

Fehl's face danced before her eyes, both how he had been when they had been lovers and how it was now. Long had she anticipated this meeting, one last battle.

She ignited her lightsaber, bathing both herself and the chamber in crimson light.

I'm ready, she thought.

One last dance.


	69. A Trial of Skill

**Chapter 69: A Trial of Skill**

Avaryss and the two Jedi continued to their ascent, there were no more turbolifts, only walkways leading up to the next level, leading up to more lab equipment, more growth chambers.

Four levels they had ascended without a single enemy emerging, only the humming of machines and their own breathing to let them know they still lived.

Occasionally they would hear explosions, and the station would rock beneath their feet, but these detonations were not enough to suggest that the either the Republic or the Empire had breached the station's defenses.

Avaryss felt a chill run down her spine.

_What was going on out there?_

_Why was this place still in one piece?_

They continued to follow Shyra, Fenn and her, the beast girl would stop every once and a while to sniff the air. Avaryss was not sure how good such a sense would be in a place like this, even if it was enhanced by the Force.

Her eyes drifted to the machinery as they passed by, the growth chambers, each glass container pulsed with a strange blue light; the fluids within hiding much of the creatures, how they might appear if they were given time to be truly born…or perhaps…fully created.

"Why does he have so many of these things," she heard Fenn murmur.

"What does he need so many of these things for?"

It was a good question, Avaryss thought.

Sadly, she could only speculate on the answer.

There were far too many creatures here to suggest simple scientific curiosity. Perhaps Terrog sought to grow an army? Perhaps these things would serve as his assassins and enforcers; weapons to carry out the dark lord's will.

What they had seen so far suggested that he had the means to create several hundred of…whatever it was that was growing in these tanks. She could not guess how long they needed to grow before they could emerge. What they would look like when they reached adulthood.

_Maybe they are not soldiers, she thought_, _maybe the dark lord has something more diabolical in mind?_

What if he never intended for anyone in the galaxy to survive his virus? What if these…_**things **_were meant to swarm and multiply, to replace the population of the galaxy after Terrog's virus had destroyed or changed all other life?

Such an explanation sounded insane, but was it any more insane than Terrog proclaiming himself the Living Will of the Force?

She didn't think so.

If he had the ability to create life on such a scale, why had he not simply given Fehl a brand new body? Or…better yet, why had he not used this technology to repopulate the pure blood people of the Empire? Surely he could have gained the necessary genetic material to do either, but instead, he had spent his time here growing…whatever it was in these tanks.

Avaryss glanced up at Shyra, say what you could about the mongrel, but she was both fierce and extremely powerful in the Force. Why had Terrog not tried to recreate what he had done with her? Despite her following the Jedi path, she did have an affinity for the darkness, her anger and rage boiled just beneath the surface.

Had she chosen it, to walk the dark path, she could have become a very powerful Sith.

Of course, if she had...she would have had to deal with the Empire's stigma against aliens. Most in the Imperial hierarchy thought that aliens were bad enough, how would they react to a hybrid creature that was strong in the Force?

Avaryss could not say of power alone would have one the day. Plus Terrog did not seem interested in training an apprentice to take his place. If Shyra had joined the Sith she likely would have remained Terrog's enforcer, or maybe she wouldn't have…

Power had a way beating the odds.

Shyra might just have well surpassed a Sith master.

Whatever Terrog's reasoning, it did not matter now. They were coming for him. She was coming for him, along with Fenn and Shyra.

They would see him answer for his mad dreams.

They heard another boom overhead, this one seemed closer somehow, Avaryss tried to reach out with the Force, try to get an idea that was happening with the fleets outside.

She was surprised to find her senses…muted.

She closed her eyes and tried again.

What she sensed…it made no sense.

She felt fear, hopelessness and despair. The Force seemed to hum with all three, but at the same time, she could also feel the eagerness of Terrog's forces, they were outnumbered and outgunned, and yet they still fought on…_successfully._

That…that should not have been possible, Marr was no incompetent commander. She had no idea of the Republic admiral's capabilities, but it was safe to say that one did not survive a battle against the Sith navy without having some skill.

What was happening?

What was going on out there?!

Terrog's fleet continued to hold the line, continued to keep the bulk of both fleets away from the stations, the explosions they had heard were the last fatal acts of doomed pilots choosing to die trying to hurt the station. Men and women so lost in hopelessness that the only thing left to them was a suicide attack, even though they all seemed to realize how pointless it was, and doomed to fail.

Avaryss frowned, her brow furrowing.

And beneath the feelings of the soldiers on both sides, she could hear…whispering?

What was that now?!

She tried to make sense of what she was feeling, but to do that, she needed direct access to it, and more power. She tried to reach out and take it for her own, to draw on the pain and death around them as she had been taught.

She _should_ have been able to feed off that despair. She _should_ have been able to draw strength from it, to prepare for the next battle, and yet…she found that she couldn't.

As she tried to reach out and seize those emotions for her own, she felt her connection blocked, it was as if she was inside a shield, a shield crafted from the light. It was almost as if…

She looked over at Fenn.

"You are trying to shield me."

"Huh," Fenn replied he had likely only partially heard her; he seemed lost…the sense of foreboding of this place was dulling his senses.

"Fenn…you are trying to shield me from the darkness," she said flatly, "It is _**not**_ necessary."

He gave her a surprised look.

"I'm trying to _protect_ us," he said, ""I'm trying to blind the enemy to our presence."

Her frown deepened.

"You don't need to do that. I need full access to my powers when we confront Terrog."

She sighed.

"The fear, the despair in this place…I can _**use**_ it."

"Lower your shield, save your strength for Terrog. I can take care of myself."

Her dream friend frowned; she could feel the conflict within him.

What did he think he was doing?

_He __**knows**__ what I am._

_Surely he understands why I need full access to dark energies this place possesses._

She shook her head.

_What was he afraid of?_

He drew in close, to make sure that only she could hear what he had to say.

"When we first found you…when we joined forces," he whispered, "You were almost out of control. I've never seen you so ruthless. I…I never felt such bloodlust. You were barely holding it together."

"Ah," she said nodding. "That is what this is about."

She smiled.

"You're afraid that I will lose control. You are worried that I'll get lost in the darkness and turn on you and Shyra?"

"You don't think that is a possibility?" he asked.

She shook her head.

His concern was sweet, but it showed his lack of understanding.

Rather than get angry, she chose to explain.

"I know how to control my power, and besides, Terrog is my enemy, he owes me blood. If my hate and anger is directed anywhere at this moment, it is at him, **not** at you and Shyra."

She pursed her lips.

"That being said, if you do feel the need to try to shield one of us, may I suggest the mongrel. She needs your help far more than I."

Her suggestion caught him off guard.

"You…you want me to try and _**protect **_Shyra?"

She nodded.

"I can feel her anger; it has been burning hotter and hotter since we came up here.

She gave him a concerned look.

"You are worried about _**me**_ turning on you. I can tell you now that I would be far more worried about Shyra. The darkness of this place is rising to embrace her, I can sense it.

"You don't want to be caught up in that storm when it finally hits, trust me."

"You don't have to worry about her," he answered, trying to sound reassuring, "I've known Shyra for years. She knows how to control herself."

"Are you so certain of that," Avaryss asked, "In a normal place, that might be so, but given her history, and her feelings for Darth Terrog…"

Avaryss shook her head.

"I know what it is like to hate someone…someone that had a hand in creating you. It is a bond that is far stronger than most people realize, and it can leave you vulnerable if you let it."

"Is that what happened to you," he asked, "Did your hatred leave _**you**_ vulnerable?"

It was all she could do to keep from snapping at him.

It wasn't the same!

She had not…

Her mind drifted back to her first meeting with Darth Feer back on Korriban, how easily he had broken her to his will. How quickly she agreed to become his apprentice.

She found herself thinking about Vey Ilo, and how she said that she and Shyra were very much alike, she had tried to dismiss it at the time, but…

_She wasn't wrong_, Avaryss realized.

There are many similarities between me and the mongrel.

That realization did little to put her mind at ease.

They were alike, and that is why she needed to be worried.

If she was pushed, the beast girl might make the same choices that Avaryss had made.

If she did, they could all be lost.

"Master Vey recognized what she was; maybe that was why she told me that we were similar. What if Terrog offer's Shyra a chance to be more? What if he offers to make another like her, a male? As angry as she is right now, don't you think it is at least possible that he might _**try**_ to turn her?"

Fenn gave her a curious look.

She hoped that he did not think that she was trying to drive a wedge between him and Shyra. She was capable of such an act and what she was saying now might come in useful later, but right now, at this time she was indeed telling the truth. Her concern for the mission was genuine.

She hoped that he could see that.

She meant what she said about wanting to take Shyra Viel's head, one day. It was a fight she desired. She did not wish to see the creature seduced to the dark side, not if it meant that her mission would fail.

"I'm surprised to find you so concerned about her," Fenn said, "It is clear that you two don't like each other."

"It is _**not**_ concern for her," Avaryss said quickly, "It is enlightened self-interest. I'm thinking about me, about us. Terrog has enough weapons to point at us; I would not see him claim another."

"I can _**hear**_ you two talking," Shyra growled over her shoulder.

Avaryss was not surprised. She guessed that those pointed ears were for more than just show. Who could say how acute the girl's senses were, and that did not even take into account her strength in the Force.

Fenn looked a little embarrassed but…

"She brings up a valid point, Shyra," he said.

The beast girl growled.

"You think she is right?"

"I think that you will be tempted," he said diplomatically.

"Hatred can be a powerful emotion; it can link you to a person as strongly as love can."

Avaryss smirked.

"Are you sure that you are up for this mongrel? If Terrog was smart, he will make an offer. Are you prepared to resist, or should we be concerned?"

She stopped in her tracks and turned to face them both.

"I will never side with that man. NEVER!"

She gave Avaryss an icy look.

"You don't know what it was like, how I was created. I would never go back to that, no matter what that…that…man promised me."

"The darkness' call is sweet to hear," Avaryss said sagely.

"Resisting it will not be as easy as you think."

Shyra sneered.

"Speak for yourself witch. I know where my loyalties lay. I won't make the mistakes that you did."

She turned away without another thought.

Avaryss shook her head.

Do not underestimate the power of a Darth, she thought.

Shyra would learn that soon enough.

She once again looked at Fenn.

"Do what you can to protect her," she told him.

He smiled slightly.

"Your compassion is showing again Keera," he said, "Isn't that unbecoming for a Sith?"

She frowned again.

She heard her mother's voice again, her distant lullaby.

_You haven't made your final choice._

_You can still come back._

She ignored such words.

She had no time for such childish hope.

"As I said, it is enlightened self-interest," she told Fenn, "Not compassion, you need to help her keep her head on straight. Terrog already had one apprentice, let's not give him another."

He nodded, finally accepting what she was saying.

Good.

"If you need my help…"

She smiled.

"I will ask, and thank you, your concern is touching, but unnecessary."

"I know how to control my power.

She felt it as the shield he had been trying to hold finally fell away, once clear of it, she felt the full power of this place once again wash over her.

The whispers she had been hearing distantly became clear.

_Hopeless!_

_Hopeless!_

_FLEE!_

_No Hope!_

_NO ESCAPE!_

_No hope!_

_FLEE!_

_FLEE!_

_FLEE!_

The Force radiated with those whispers filling the minds of all of Terrog's enemies. It was no wonder that the fleet had not breached the station's defenses yet.

It was all she could do to keep from running away herself, that or curling up on the deck and waiting for death to claim her.

Avaryss took a shuddering breath and took that despair into her. She let it wash over her, to feel the fear of all those soldiers outside, even now fighting for their lives.

She let the darkness draw on it, let nourish itself. Fear to anger, which turned to hate so quickly!

She smiled.

She had found it!

She had found the heart of darkness.

She let its power fill her up.

She let the hate flow through her!

She opened her eyes. The world had taken on a rosy tinge, she looked at the two Jedi and the bloodlust she had felt earlier returned.

It was all she could do to stay her blade, to keep from killing them both, Shyra for even thinking of trying to take Fenn for herself, and Fenn for trying to cut her off from the darkness.

The desire was there, she wanted to kill them both, but…she held it in check.

I'm not an animal, she thought.

I am a Dark Lord of the Sith!

I decide who lives and who dies!

The Force serves me, and through it the darkside grows stronger!

She smiled hungrily, her eyes blazing with crimson light.

Fenn need not have worried.

She was Sith!

She knew how to control her power!

She followed after her allies. The rage held in check, for now.

Her true enemies were waiting up ahead.

She would find them. She would destroy them utterly.

The darkness would have its due.

It always did.

IOI

Now that her full powers had returned, she tried to make sense of what was happening outside. What she was sensing through the Force.

Terrog's forces are bolstered; while ours seem to weaken the closer they draw to this station. The Force is practically singing with fear and hopelessness, far more than it should be, given the will and training of normally brave soldiers.

What was the traitor doing? She asked herself.

He was using the Force that was obvious but how?

She remembered reading about the art of Battle Mediation during her days as a Hopeful on Fury 9. It was said that the dark lord Naga Sadow had been extremely talented in the art, that he had been able to influence the full might of the Sith Fleet from a simple meditation ship. Fast forward a millennia and there had been the Jedi witch Bastila Shan, the one who had doomed Darth Revan's conquest of the galaxy. Darth Malak had said to have tried to turn her, but he had failed.

Is that what _this_ was? Did Terrog have someone skilled in Battle Meditation at his side?

That would explain what was happening, but at the same time she did not get the sense that what they were facing was the result of a single Force user. Battle Meditation was a very rare gift, not often granted by the Force. Having the strength of will to use it to influence entire armies was rarer still.

When she tried to touch the mind causing this…disruption, she did not sense a single mind or will, it seemed almost…mechanical in nature. It felt like the mind that was doing this only knew the emotions that it was projecting, which made no sense.

The experiences of life went beyond hopelessness and fear. Even the poorest and most miserable wretch knew at least one moment of happiness...or fury.

The dark side filled her up as she drew closer to her objective, closer to her prey.

I will ask Terrog myself about this, right before I take his fool head.

Then we shall see just how brilliant he is.

Her hand went to the pouch on her belt and the crystal she had salvaged from Terrog's machine, the one she had filled with her own power.

It seemed to be almost vibrating, feeding off the anticipation of the blood that was to come.

_Patience,_ she whispered, _be patient._

You will get to fulfil your purpose soon enough.

We **both** will.

They finally came to the end of the laboratories, a turbolift door stood before them, the only way up to the next level.

Before they could approach it, the door hissed open, and more of Terrog's creatures filed out, armed with weapons and wearing the tattered remnant of Imperial uniforms. They filed out and took up defensive positions, blocking the three force users' path, and leading this rabble was a single cyborg, a Sith returned from the dead.

Fehl's face twisted into the grimace that passed for his smile these days. His eyes found Avaryss and he opened his arms in greetings.

"Welcome my darling wife," he said happily, his voice buzzing through the vocoder in his neck.

"I'm so glad you are here, that you have chosen to accept my master's offer."

Avaryss sneered.

Was this Terrog's lame attempt as sarcasm, or did the thing that had once been her lover not understand the reason that she had chosen to come here?

Had Darth Terrog left his mind so limited?

It was disappointing to say the least

She chose to enlighten him, no reason to leave him wondering why he was about to die.

"The only thing that I've accepted Fehl is that your master's time is at an end."

She activated her lightsaber; the whirling blade lit the room in ruby light."

Fehl paused; he did not seem to know how to respond to what she had just said.

She could almost imagine the droid processor in his head working, trying to come up with a response to what she had said.

Pathetic, she thought, pathetic and weak.

Her poor Fehl, he had fallen so far.

The time had come to end this mockery.

Her former lover deserved better.

The first time she had faced him, she had been in shock, seeing him back among the living had been her dream for so long, she had not realized that Terrog had corrupted it. That he had turned the man she had loved into a living nightmare.

Now, with time and perspective, she had let go of that shock and awe. She now saw Fehl in a different light.

It was not love she felt for this thing, not anymore, it was hate, black and cold.

Why had she not seen it earlier?

She had come to realize that the dark side had tested her back on Korriban, Fehl had been a test, a test of her commitment to the Sith. It had been a test that she had failed. She had been fully ready to leave everything she had fought for behind, and all for the promise that her loving husband would give her what she needed, and that together they would have the means to defeat Darth Feer.

She had been so naïve.

A Sith stood on her own two feet, or she did not stand at all. By accepting Fehl's proposal she had limited herself, and the dark side had made her pay for that moment of weakness. The damage done to her eyes and ears were a permanent reminder of her failure, a weakness that she would live with for the rest of her days.

She glared up and Fehl and his bodyguards, letting the rage build inside of her.

"You nearly made me forget who I was. My bloodline would have suffered for it. I would never have become as strong as I am at this moment."

Her fingers tightened around the hilt of her weapon.

She had been too weak to destroy Fehl the student, but now…looking on Fehl the monster, she realized that she no longer had any limitations.

She could do this.

She would do what the overseers back on Korriban had wanted in the first place.

She would _**destroy**_ Fehl.

The two Jedi were at her sides, their weapon's engaged, a blade of blue and a blade of green at her side.

Fenn came up beside her, holding his weapon in the opening stance of Ataru.

"So this is Fehl," he said.

She nodded.

Fenn glanced her way.

"Wife?" he asked.

Avaryss' eyes narrowed.

"He asked for my hand, and I accepted," she informed him, "He was killed before we had the chance to say our vows."

"Oh," Fenn said, what he meant by that, she could not say, the Force was too chaotic here to pick up on any subtle emotions.

"And now he is back trying to kill you," Shyra said shaking her head, "You really know how to pick 'em witch."

"Shut up, mongrel," she snapped back.

Shyra gave her a toothy grin.

One day, Avaryss swore that she would smash every tooth out of that Jedi's mouth, but not today.

Today, there was Fehl to deal with.

He would prove to be challenge enough.

He looked at her companions.

"Jedi," he spat, "You have come here at the side Jedi?"

She shrugged.

What did he want her to say; they were useful tools, nothing more.

Fehl's strange eyes moved over her companions, Avaryss could feel him reaching out with the darkside, trying to take Fenn and Shyra's measure.

His gaze focused on Fenn and Fenn alone.

His mechanical fingers curled into fists.

"You _desire_ her," he said in a voice as cold as space itself.

For the first time, Avaryss sensed real emotion in the cyborg, not just the simmering rage that had been left by his rebirth.

She felt jealousy, that and fury…hot and burning like a star.

Fehl's eyes seemed to glow, so great was his fury at that moment.

"You want her?"

Fenn did not answer; his focus was entirely on the battle to come.

Fehl laughed coldly.

"Enjoy my left overs Jedi, I taught this little whore everything she knows. Know that when you lay with her. It is I that you should thank for what she did. Know that I had her first, and broke her in for you."

If Fenn was angered or offended he didn't show it, his focus was entirely in the Force, on getting past Fehl and reaching his master.

Avaryss admired his control, another man would have been angry.

It was okay that Fenn was not.

She was enraged enough for two people.

Whore…he dares call me a whore?!

Her fury burned hotter, her desire for blood was like thunder in her ears.

She had had enough talk.

She started to raise her hand, to blast the abomination with Force lightning. She did not get the chance.

One second he was there, and the next one…he was gone, but not before he gave the order, not until he had addressed the things that had come down here with them. He said only three words, but that was enough…

"Kill them all."

Blaster bolts filled the air.

Avaryss and her allies tried to back pedal, to send the blasts back with Shien only to have Fehl appear right in the middle of them his hands split open, and two lightsabers shot out and into his hands.

He whirled around striking with a style that blended both Juyo and Jar Kai. That and one of the most powerful pulses of dark side energy she had ever seen.

The three were blown black sent flying through the air.

It took all Avaryss skill and training to turn the flight to her advantage, to be able to turn it into a defensive roll and find her feet again.

Fehl's guards gave her no time to center herself; they were on her almost before she hit the ground. Firing both blasters and attacking with cortosis weave swords.

She came up and found herself fighting for her life.

Her two allies were no better off.

Shyra was holding her own against the other half of Fehl's guards. The Jedi fell back amongst the lab equipment trying to shield herself from the blaster bolts and blades of Fehl's inhuman defenders.

As for Fenn, he was left to face Fehl alone; the cyborg was on him, spinning and lunging so fast that Avaryss could barely keep track of what was happening.

Her dream friend was holding his own, for the moment, but he was clearly being pushed to the limit.

Fehl had been the greatest of his class once. Terrog's enhancements had not lessened that skill, if anything he was faster now.

Fenn Shadowstone was in a fight for his life.

"You want to give her your heart," the cyborg laughed, "I will rip it out and give it to her. We'll see how much she wants you then."

Avaryss had no more time to worry about her companions, the guards continued to drive her back, continued to push her.

It was taking all her skill to stay hold them off.

One locked blades with her while two more try to circle around behind, to either stab her in the back or blast her from behind.

Rather than continue to push against her foe, she decided to roll backward, bringing the cybernetic creature down on top of her, she rolled through and kicked with her legs, propelling the creature into his fellows. The three crashed together and all went down hard. Before they could untangle themselves and continue their attack, Avaryss reached up with the Force, ripped up another of Terrog's growing tables and brought it crashing down hard on the guards. It hit with such a force that it literally dented the deck plate beneath it, fluid leaked from broken growth vats as the wreckage sparked and caught fire.

Avaryss whirled around to meet three more of the creatures, these she did not even bother trying to meet blade upon blade. She reached out with the Force again, drawing the torn cables from destroyed machine to them, binding them, and tangling them up.

She fell upon them before they could fully recover hacking and slashing with her lightsaber.

Losing a head meant nothing to these things, the body staggered around, still swinging its sword or firing its blaster.

Dismemberment seemed to be the only answer.

The only thing guaranteed to keep the things down.

Free of her attackers she leapt to Fenn's aid. He was holding his own against her former lover, but she could sense the exhaustion he was feeling, it was taking all of his strength to just hold the cyborg back.

She came at Fehl from behind, but he turned with unbelievable speed, his second lightsaber blocking her strike.

Their crimson blades locked, she stared into his eyes, hate and anger radiating through her.

"This takes me back," he purred, "You remember the Tomb of Ajunta Pal don't you my love?"

She did…

…this fight would not end like that one had.

She snarled and threw a force push; he resisted her attack and began to whirl back and forth, holding off both her and Fenn.

He is still good, she thought to herself, but it won't save him.

The dark side is with me.

I don't fear Terrog's mechanical tricks.

A pained yelp, drew her attention, she only just managed to back pedal and avoid Fehl taking off her head.

Shyra Viel fought like she was a Massassi warrior of old. She no longer resembled a human girl, any trace of humanity was currently submerged her neck and mussel were long her fur had turned thick and shaggy. It was almost impossible to believe that those large paws of hers could grasp a lightsaber, much less have the skill to use it.

In that moment, Avaryss got to truly see what it was that Terrog had created, and it was both beautiful and terrifying.

No wonder he had not wanted to face her on The Wreck.

The girl was a storm of teeth, claws, and lightsaber. While Avaryss had been forced to use her powers to evade and overwhelm, the beast girl was pure skill, savagery, and speed. Raw animal instinct that was far beyond anything that Terrog's science and alchemy could ever hope to match.

The sight gave Avaryss pause.

On the day that she finally faced the mongrel in battle, she would need to be at her best. She would need to be one with the dark side and free of any distraction.

Terrog was a fool, she thought, he had spent years working with cybernetics to create the perfect Sith weapon. Fehl had been strong, and before his death he very well might have been that weapon. He was still strong, but he was limited by what Terrog had taken from him, limited by what had been needed to make sure that Fehl came back.

Shyra Viel had no such limitation, had the dark side claimed her she would not have needed any cybernetics or further enhancement.

She was a weapon, a weapon that Terrog had let the Jedi take from him, to remake in their image.

The fool, she thought.

The arrogant, stupid fool!

_**ARRRRRROOOOOOOOOWL!**_

Victorious, Shyra threw back her head and howled!

Fehl thinking he saw an opening threw the lightsaber from his left hand at the girl.

Shyra did not dodge, she did not block; she did not even duck.

She held out her hand.

The blade stopped spinning a mere millimeter from her neck.

She snatched up the blade and whirled both it and her own weapon, dropping into a two handed fighting stance.

The cyborg leapt back, his left hand opened up again, revealing yet another hidden lightsaber; it ignited as he reset his guard.

He now stood alone, three against one.

Fehl had faced such odds before, and won, Avaryss knew, but those had been mere acolytes, learners.

Both Avaryss and Fenn were breathing hard, Fehl had pushed them, but they were still standing. Shyra was panting, drool dripped from her long mouth, but her eyes were cold focused, the animal was firmly back under control now.

"Are you okay, Fenn?" Avaryss asked.

"I am," he said.

"How about you, mongrel, you back in control of yourself?"

"Shut it, witch!" the beastling spat back.

Avaryss smirked.

Yep, she was okay.

Fehl looked back and forth, his three opponents began to circle him, he tried to maneuver back the elevator, but he was stopped at every turn.

The blades of his enemies blocked his path, he could try to fight through, but it would not be an easy escape.

Poor Terrog, Avaryss thought.

He is about to lose his most powerful pawn!

Fehl's eyes finally fell on Avaryss. She could sense his concern; perhaps the droid part of his brain had just realized just how hopeless his situation had become.

"It does not have to end this way love," he said, "You will not find what you need among these Jedi."

Avaryss smiled.

"Are we trying to negotiate now?" she inquired sweetly, "That is new…what's the matter, not so sure that you can win this fight?"

"Why are we talking," Shyra spat, "End this creature now!"

She seemed about to take a step forward, but Fenn shot her a look that stopped her.

"This isn't our fight now, Shyra," he said, "It is Keera's…"

He glanced up at her.

"Let her deal with this."

She gave him a grateful look.

Yes, she thought.

This is my fight isn't it?

My love for Fehl became an obsession. I've been a slave to it for far too long.

Through victory my chains are broken.

She nodded grimly.

I've grown weary of wearing this particular chain.

It is time to free myself of it.

Fehl must have realized what was happening, he watched as the Jedi stepped back, as Avaryss raised her weapon.

He looked at her with a mixture of surprise and dread.

"You cannot beat me," he said, "You were never strong enough to do that."

She nodded.

True, she had never beat him during their sparing sessions, but she had not really been trying truth be told.

She had been a slave to her love for him, she had always held something back, not wishing to injure him, and not wishing to anger him.

In short, she had never truly faced Fehl in open combat. The thought of doing so now…excited her.

This has been a long time coming," she said dropping into Makashi fighting stance.

"Let us end this."

Fehl adopted the opening stance of Juyo.

"We don't have to do this," he repeated, "We can go back to the way we were, my master can remake me if you desire it, give me the shape that you desire. My master has sensed your potential, your growing power…"

That old canned response again, she thought.

Enough.

Avaryss did not give him a chance to finish.

She lunged.

She got inside his guard, his two blades spinning quickly as the two of them danced back and forth. The Jedi did not interfere. They knew what needed to be done.

Avaryss did not hold back, her rage and hate lifted her up; her desire to reach Terrog and end this drove her forward.

Fehl was powerful, formidable, but he was also limited by what Terrog had done to him. He fought for Terrog because he was programmed to do so.

That was not the way of the Sith.

For too long Avaryss had been a slave to her desire to bring him back, now all she wanted was for him to be gone, to end the nightmare of his return in such a fashion.

She decided she did not want to have him in her life anymore.

She decided she wanted to win.

She sliced off the emitter of his lightsaber, the red blade winked out, and then she took the other one too, just because she could.

Fehl tried to push her back, with the Force but she blocked him. He had pushed his own limits during his attempt to hold off both her and Fenn, now his reserves were depleted, as was his resolve.

It left him weak, vulnerable.

She chose not to let him suffer long.

She reached out with the Force, pinning him in place while she choked him. His right arm opened up revealing yet, another lightsaber, but this time she did not let him use it.

She tore it from its sheath and used the Force to spin it around. The blade went back and forth, back and forth.

Fehl cried out, a sound that was half static and an actual scream.

The weapon struck at Fehl's waist and lower back over and over again. His armored cybernetics held for a bit, but after about four strikes, the weapon finally bit deep.

Fehl cried out again as his lower body came away, the smell of burned rotted meat and melted metal and plastic filled the air.

She let the body fall, and yet still…Fehl did not give up; he tried to crawl away, tried to make it to the turbolift.

Avaryss having grown tired of the game sliced off both his arms and shoulders, leaving the cyborg immobile.

Again she smelt burnt dead flesh and saw the sparks of damaged droid parts.

There had been so little of her lover left.

It truly was sad.

He lay on his stomach, panting, oil and other fluids leaked from his ruined body.

Avaryss used her toe to flip him over; she wanted to look him in the eye.

She wanted to see his face.

_Now…that they were here at the end, she wanted him to understand._

"No," he gasped, "No, my love…stop…it…it doesn't have to be this way! We…we can come back! We can love again!"

"Yes it does," she said coldly.

"Yes, it does."

Avaryss stood over him; she felt wetness on her cheeks. She sniffled.

I'm crying, she realized, but it would not stop her.

She knew what must be done.

"Through victory my chains are broken," she murmured, "The Force shall set me free."

Fehl swallowed hard.

"No."

She brought the blade down, she sliced his head in half from the top of the head to his chin tendrils, her blade cut its path, sparks crackled as the droid part of his mind overloaded and melted.

_Yes_, the darkness whispered inside of her.

_Oh yesssss!_

The body twitched several times, its components responding to the destruction of the droid part of Fehl's mind.

Avaryss stayed with him in the Force, right up until the end. Only this time she had been ready, she was not left Force burned as she had been back on Korriban.

She felt Fehl fall away into the chaos, into the madness beyond death.

She did not try to save him, he was weak, undeserving.

She let him fall away.

She took a shuddering breath. She let emotions of this act wash over her, cleanse her.

She smiled slightly.

At long last, she had lived up to what people thought of her.

She had finally, _**truly **_killed Fehl, and at long last she felt no regret, no desire to bring him back.

He was gone.

Finished!

I've done it, she thought.

I'm no longer bound.

She almost laughed.

I'm free!


	70. A Trial of Flesh

**Chapter 70: A Trial of Flesh**

He is dead.

She stood over the body, still breathing hard from the battle, still drinking in all the emotions that slaying Terrog's apprentice had brought forth.

Anger, fear, grief, and doubt, they all rose up in her chest, and she let them all pass through her, let them fuel the darkness in her heart.

You had no choice, the darkness whispered.

You would have spent the rest of your days fearing his footsteps…and now…it is done.

You have rid yourself of your obsession, Fehl is dead.

She nodded.

It had needed to be done, but even still…

What might have been…what they might have had, it tried to rise up; it tried to choke her. Punish her.

She resisted those weak emotions, choosing to armor herself in ice and steel.

The apprentice was now gone, all that remained now…was to face the master.

They would face the master and end this.

She felt the presence of the two Jedi at her side. Did they understand why she had needed to do this? Fenn seemed to, but considering that he had nearly died at Fehl's hand, who could blame him for wanting Terrog's pet destroyed.

Shyra was…well…she was no longer sure what Shyra Viel was in the larger scheme of things.

She had shown her power, and Avaryss now found herself…envious.

I must grow stronger, she thought, when we finally meet, when we finally truly cross blades the mongrel and I, I must be ready.

I can afford no mistakes.

Speaking of the Jedi girl, Avaryss watched as her face returned to its more human shape, the large brown eyes did not blaze with the power as they had when she stood her ground against Fehl, but that power was there, none the less.

"Keera?"

Fenn was once again at her side, she could feel his concern radiating out through the Force. He fears what destroying Fehl has done to me, she realized. He doesn't understand that it was necessary, that it needed to be done.

"Are you okay," he asked her.

She thought of pushing him away or maybe some silly reassuring comment. Yet, as always with Fenn, she could not do it.

She could not lie to him.

"I hurt," she confessed, "It…it hurts."

She felt his hand on her shoulder; she could feel his worry, his desire to help her.

Part of her wanted to simply fall into his arms and sob, not just with grief, but also with joy.

She had freed herself, and she had freed Fehl.

Shyra sniffed the air; the damage that they had caused had started several fires.

"We should go," she said, "Lord Terrog is still up ahead."

Avaryss nodded, she wiped at her face and did her best to re-center herself, to set her nerves to cortosis.

_He has no more tricks up his sleeve_, she thought, _at last we are free to confront him._

Be wary, the darkness whispered, a Darth is no mere opponent, he is death itself.

Never expect a battle with a Darth to go easy.

Fenn looked at her.

"You sure you can do this?" he asked.

She nodded, took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

Once again she drew on her anger, what she had done to Fehl…it was all because of Darth Terrog, what rogue Sith had done to him.

It was the traitor that was truly to blame for Fehl's final death.

She would see him answer for it.

"I can do this," she informed the two Jedi, she let a cruel smile come to her lips.

"I'm ready."

As one of the three entered the turbolift, once again there was only a single button, the only way up or down.

Fenn pushed it and the door hissed closed, the elevator began to rise.

A shiver ran down Avaryss' spine, a feeling of anticipation washed over her.

Tonight, I kill a Darth, she thought.

It will be good practice.

The thought brought a smile to her face.

First Terrog, and then…Feer.

The thought excited her.

It would be another corpse for the fire.

The lift rose quickly, Avaryss continued to play the mental games she played before every battle. She willed herself to be strong, to stand tall in the face of this next great challenge.

The life began to slow and finally, it came to a stop.

The door hissed open.

The three had their lightsabers in hand, but did not ignite them.

They were greeted, by silence.

Avaryss took the lead as they stepped out of the elevator and onto what looked like a massive observation deck the massive dome seemed capped the tower in which the three found themselves. Stars and plumes of gas from the nebula in which the station sat swirled overhead.

They were walking up a long and slowly rising ramp, black unadorned walls starting at about two stories high grew increasingly lower as they made their way up.

Avaryss shook her head.

The Force was practically screaming now, it was from this chamber that the sense of foreboding she had felt earlier was being generated.

Fear, hopelessness and the desire to flee all bombarded her and her Jedi companions, but to their credit no one said anything, no one even suggested trying to run. It was here that their final battle would take place.

Here was where Darth Terrog's threat would be ended.

Avaryss watched the walls around them, had she been in command here she would have saved some troopers to shoot down on any invaders, those ledges offered perfect firing positions for anyone trying to hold this chamber, and yet, no guard emerged, no blaster shots rained down on them.

It was most…curious.

And still no Darth Terrog, she could not exactly sense the dark lord, but she knew that he was here…somewhere.

By now he had to know that his guards had failed. He had to know that his apprentice was dead.

Yet, he lets us enter without a single challenge, not a trooper, not a warrior, nothing.

What is going on, she wondered.

What type of game are you playing at, Terrog?

They finally reached the top of the ramp, the walls that protected the walkway now had become a plain obsidian-like floor, it had been polished to a mirror shine, and the three could see their reflections in it.

To look down on that reflection was to see yourself surrounded by the stars.

It was a beautiful sight to be sure.

The observation deck was large, encircled by two walkways interconnected by three sets of stairs. On each of these walkways sat four rather large spherical shaped machines, each topped with a single glass dome; a dome that pulsed with red angry light.

Avaryss reached out to one of them with the Force, and was nearly knocked down by the wave of despair that nearly overwhelmed her, that might have left her sobbing on the floor had she not been at least partially prepared.

The young Sith shook her head.

It seemed that they had found the source of Terrog's battle meditation, but…it made no sense.

No machine was capable of affecting the Force!

It was impossible.

Just across from the entrance ramp…sat a large coffin, or rather, something that looked like a cross between a coffin and an examination table.

The three went up to it, curious as to what Terrog might be keeping here, what the dark lord had chosen to keep here in what was likely his inner sanctum.

The sight that greeted them was…disturbing to say the least.

It was a body, of course, no real surprise there, but it was the condition of the body, that made what they were seeing so…disturbing.

It had been a Sith pure blood…once. His dark red skin had turned a dull pink in death; his golden eyes the flat yellow of dead grass. .

Fenn looked away quickly. He put his hand over his mouth, like he feared he was about to retch.

"I think I'm going to be sick," he gasped.

Avaryss did not blame him.

It was quite disturbing.

It was clear that someone had been…dissecting this body, parts were missing, organs removed; even pieces of the brain appeared to be missing. It was hard to say how long this pure blood had been dead the machine in which it was being kept seemed to be pumping fluids into the body, preserving what had not been removed yet.

It was a horrific sight to be sure.

The chest, the arms, the legs, even the head had been opened up.

She and Shyra both looked down on the body in the detached way of those use to seeing such sights. Avaryss had seen worse during her time on Dromund Kaas, and Shyra, who had been created in a place like this likely felt the same.

The female Jedi sniffed the body.

"I wonder who he was," she murmured thoughtfully.

Avaryss shrugged.

"Someone who pissed off the wrong person, I guess."

"You would be wrong, apprentice."

The three spun around, drawing their lightsabers.

Darth Terrog stood before them, as large and intimidating as he had looked during Avaryss' first meeting with him back at the gathering all those months ago. If their presence here surprised the dark lord he certainly did not show it, he looked neither worried nor concerned to find three enemy force users in his chambers.

If anything their presence seemed to amuse him more than anything else.

He chuckled.

"The one you see before you was Darth Questus, my master, and teacher," he informed them, "During the days before our return; he had been both a skilled warrior and general. He led the Empire to many victories, and had proven himself a champion of the Emperor."

Terrog chuckled.

"When he first took me as his apprentice, most thought that he had gone senile. I was neither strong nor intimidating, hardly the apprentice for one who had lived such and active life and won so many victories for our people."

Terrog shook his head.

"It was my curiosity that intrigued him, I had so many questions; there was so much to know. He used to joke that I would interrogate the Force if I could, that I would not be satisfied before I had learned all of life's mysteries."

Avaryss's eyes narrowed.

"Hence your Sith name…Terrog."

The Dark Lord smiled at her.

"Quite right, apprentice, quite right indeed."

Avaryss eyes narrowed, she was not sure what to make of this.

The Terrog she had met at the gathering had been a zealot; this one seemed almost…personable.

Fenn stayed close to her. He was ready to engage the dark lord at the first sign of danger.

Shyra was…she was like a loaded spring, ready to spring at her creator's throat, eager to do so.

If Terrog felt threatened, he did not acknowledge it.

He looked down upon the body fondly.

"He was very kind to me, not a trait often found in a master I know, but he was. My own family never understood my…curiosity; my siblings avoided me after they found that I dissected one of the family pets. My parents disowned me after I did the same to a servant girl.

Terrog shook his head.

They never did understand, but Lord Questus did, he not only understood, but he approved. He often took me on campaign with him, let me follow his exploits. Back then I was not as I am now, I was small and frail, but I was willing to try, to strive to be better.

"Lord Questus encouraged my experiments. He helped me locate both holocrons and texts that I desired. He would also give me subjects to work with. Animals, new plant life…even the occasional prisoner, if I was lucky, and he was in a generous mood. He saw value in my work; he thought it might hold the key to victory when the Emperor finally decided that our time had finally come. That we were finally ready to take the Republic. He understood, that life was an unguided mistake, and only through study and science could the Sith evolve beyond their shortcomings.

"Sounds like a real charmer," Avaryss said.

"Not really, "Terrog said with a shrug, "but he was my master."

"You sound quite fond of him," Fenn Shadowstone said.

"I was indeed," the dark lord admitted.

"So how did he die?"

Terrog's smiled turned sly.

I killed him, of course," he admitted, "I had learned all that I could at his feet, but some questions still remained unanswered; questions that I could only learn the answers to through surgery.

"My master had a very exacting appetite; his meals always had to be prepared a certain way. When on campaign he trusted me to see that his dinner was made just the way he liked it, and so I made sure that it was, and one day, I included something in it, something both odorless and tasteless."

He grinned at the three, those strange cyborg eyes of his seemed to glitter mischievously.

"The poison did not kill him, not right away, but it did paralyze his body and give the appearance of true death. I had him sent back to Dromund Kaas, by then, I had won all the servants over to my side, and those that had proved resistant the reprogrammed droids of our house made short work of."

Terrog gently touched his dead master's face.

"Lord Questus was a master of battle meditation you see. I had no talent with that skill myself, and wished to study it greater detail."

Avaryss shuddered; the realization of what the dark lord had done came to her.

"He was still alive when you started dissecting him, when you started cutting into his brain?"

Terrog shrugged, dismissively.

"Such is the way for one who desires knowledge."

Shyra had heard enough.

She leapt at her creator an angry snarl on her lips.

Terrog threw up his hand. The Force push caught the Jedi girl and flung her back, the back of her head slammed into the lower walkway behind her.

"NO!" Fenn said drawing his lightsaber.

Terrog drew his weapon and attacked.

Whether Fenn was still winded from his fight with Fehl, or the dark lord was just that fast, the outcome was never in contest.

Fenn's blade parried two of the dark lord's attacks before he got in close enough. The Darth brought his knee up into Fenn's belly with enough force to lift him bodily off the ground, and then reaching out with the Force he flung the Jedi Padawan across the chamber, he skidded to a halt at the edge of the ledge where the walkway began.

He lay there, coughing, unable to rise.

Avaryss blinked.

By the Emperor!

Darth Terrog had dealt with both Fenn and Shyra in a matter of seconds.

Her hand remained on her lightsaber, but she had not ignited it.

Terrog chuckled.

"Still the wise one, I see, good."

Terrog radiated with a dark pleasure.

"You will be most useful to me in my work, my dear. Of that I'm certain."

"And what does that mean exactly?" she asked.

He shrugged, pressing a button on the Sarcophagus, sealing the remains of Darth Questus back inside.

"I was not sure of you the first time we met, girl," he admitted, "You are on the arm of a rival, a constant thorn in my side, but at the same time, I sensed your…potential. You were like a block of stone waiting for an artist to chip away the outside and reveal the masterpiece inside."

"I take it that you are the artist?" she said dryly.

"I've been called that before," he said,

She sneered.

By whom, she wondered, his lap dogs, the slaves that he had put droid processors in their heads?

"When I saw you at the gathering, as we stood there talking, as Darth Marr came up to you and you put him at ease, I had a vision through the Force. It was as clear as day, and rang with both truth and destiny."

He stood taller, practically radiating triumph.

"I saw you kneeling before me. I saw that you had been improved, that you had accepted cybernetic parts. I knew in that moment that it was you that was destined to stand beside me. That you would be at my side as I remade the galaxy in my beautiful image."

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

Beautiful?

Him?

Really?

Another explosion rattled the station. She looked up concerned.

"Fear not, he assured her, "The enemy cannot breach my defenses; my master defends us even now."

Avaryss was not sure what he meant by that, but then she reached out with the Force. She touched both the corpse of Darth Questus and the devices that were scattered throughout the observation deck.

Her eyes flared.

"You found a way to preserve his talent didn't you? You found a way to artificially recreate your old masters abilities?"

"Recreate is not the right word," he said, "I found a way to preserve his gift, to spread it around. By harvesting tissue of his Force sensitive brain, I was able to grow a series of artificial minds, cybernetics blended with my master's own brain, to create a…artificial alternative to having to find a Force Sensitive skilled in the art of battle meditation."

The thought made Avaryss shudder.

It was horrifying, but at the same time, quite clever…quite clever indeed.

She smiled.

This confrontation was not going as she thought it would.

"Such a weapon would give your fleets an edge in battle, but not enough to make you Emperor."

Terrog laughed at that.

"I am now the Living Will of the Force, girl. Why would I wish to hold such a small title as Emperor?"

He crossed his arms over his chest.

"You have proven to be more skilled than I gave you credit for. You have passed the test I've set before you with flying colors. I'm most pleased."

"Test?" she said. "What test?"

"I needed to see if you were worthy of becoming my new apprentice. The plague on Fydon, the return of your former lover, your vaccination and survival, your invitation to join me here, were all part of my test, to see if you were ready."

"Ready for what?"

"To be Empress of course," he replied.

She shivered.

Empress?

He…he wanted her to be Empress!

Was it even possible?

"My Questus devices do more than just demoralize my enemies, child. They can also be set to cause an unreasoning rage in someone. They can literally be directed to making an enemy force destroy itself."

"Then why not use it at the start of the battle? Why wait? Why bother with the plague?"

"What you call a plague is the next step in my plan. It is a tool that I will use to purify the galaxy and remake the Force in my image. Once I've destroyed the Republic and Imperial fleets, the other lords will flock to my banner. I will be able to make the necessary repairs to this station, and my probes will spread throughout the galaxy. Dromund Kaas and Korriban will need to be given the gift that I gave Fydon, to ensure that our former Emperor does not cause us any trouble."

Avaryss winced.

To use such a weapon on the Emperor.

Would it even work on an Immortal being?"

"Once the Emperor is dead the Sith will need a new leader, one who accepts my place within the Force, and embraces me as its living will."

He put his large hands on her shoulders.

"You will be that leader, my dear. You will be Empress Darth Avaryss I.

Hearing him say those words, they excited her, far more than she had ever realized that they would.

**Empress **Darth Avaryss, the first of her name!

She felt the old hunger in her stomach.

She imagined herself sitting on the throne, all the Darths and Lords bowing to her, those that survived the plague anyway.

"And what of the Republic and Jedi?" she asked, what will become of them?"

"They will have the same choice that the Empire has, to bow down, or die."

Terrog's eyes seemed to glow brighter.

He looked down at where Shyra and Fenn had fallen.

"I thank you for returning experiment 5 tank 1-3-L to me apprentice, it has been long since she escaped, I'm eager to have her on my dissection table, figure out how she managed to survive this long."

Avaryss blinked.

Experiment 5…?

Oh!

Experiment V-1-3-l, Viel that was Shyra's experimental designation!

How amusing.

"Lord Marr will never accept this, my lord," she reminded him, "But at the same time, he has allies, he could make the transition of power easier for us."

Terrog laughed.

"Us?" he said, "Does that mean that you have accepted my offer, that you will join me?"

"What about Fehl?" she asked, "You seem to have forgotten him awfully quick."

"Those that fail are left behind and forgotten apprentice, you know that as well as anyone. You defeated Fehl, and now…his place is yours. You…!"

_**GRAAAAAAAAHG!**_

Shyra had somehow found her feet; she lunged at Lord Terrog again. This time she had her lightsaber in hand, its emerald blade flashing as she brought it up and around.

Avaryss stepped back as Terrog engaged his creation in single combat.

Terrog back pedaled as she pressed her attack raining down blows on the dark lord. He used Soresu to draw out their battle, her when her claws came up raking at his robes, they tore away cloth revealing cybernetic armor, similar to what she had seen been fitted to Fehl.

Avaryss watched the exchange with a cool and clinical eye.

She could have tried to help Terrog, but why? If he was strong enough he would surely defeat his creation. As for Shyra, she was looking for weakness.

She hoped to see some flaw in the dark lord's creation.

KEERA!" she turned to see Fenn back on his feet, he was running towards Terrog, looking to aid his fellow Jedi.

Avaryss struck out with the Force.

Fenn was flung back he went skidding back across the polished floor.

Avaryss ignited her weapon and went after him.

Fenn rolled to his feet, and was forced to defend himself.

Avaryss rained down blows on his defenses.

"Keep back," she shouted.

He looked into her eyes, they radiated horror and disbelief.

"Keera! No! You said you wouldn't turn against us!"

She smiled slyly.

"We have to help Shyra!"

"Not yet," she said.

"Keera!"

NOT YET!"

She parried his attack and fell back, staying between him and the fight between Shyra and Darth Terrog.

She reached out with the Force, trying to get a sense for what was going on outside. She could feel the tide of the battle shifting, a flight of extinction class bombers were inbound. They had managed to get past the blockade and were now driving hard for the station. She could feel their fear and the growing sense of hopelessness.

When they reached the station, it would be too late.

Keera," Fenn shouted again.

"NOT YET!"

Shyra leapt around Terrog, clawing biting and snapping at the dark lord, her blade parrying his attacks.

"You fight well, Experiment V-I-3-L, I'm most impressed.

"My name is Shyra," she spat, "Remember that!"

She and Terrog crossed blades despite his size, they were pretty evenly matched.

"Not yet," Avaryss murmured, she said holding Fenn back.

"Not yet!"

She reached out into the Force again, she could feel the bombers, the pilots inside of them, and they were slowing starting to break formation; Terrog fighters were closing in readying to blow the enemy craft to atoms.

"Wait for it," she murmured lowering her blade.

Fenn looked confused.

"Keera?"

"Trust me, darling," she purred.

"Trust me."

Shyra was down on her knees, her creator continued to push the blade farther and farther down, closer to her shoulder.

"You are nothing, nothing but an experiment, a failed experiment! I will.

The bombers were in range.

Avaryss smiled.

"Help Shyra," she told her dream friend.

"I got this!"

He blinked.

"Got what? What are you..?'

Avaryss sprinted towards the walkways, her scarlet blade whirling. She cut through the glass surface of the nearest the Questus machines, destroying the cybernetic brain inside. She leapt to the walkway above and slashed through a second and then and third…

That was when the world turned upside down!

That is when Terrog realized that she had betrayed him!

"_**NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" **_

She was picked up by the Force and flung across the chamber!

She struck the dura-glass dome with enough force to break every bone in her body, had she not shielded herself, she would have.

A wave of Force energy blasted out from Darth Terrog, a storm of pure rage and hate.

"LIAR!" he howled.

"TRAITOR!"

"I know you are," Avaryss said as she flipped over and sprang off the wall, leaping towards the dark lord.

"NOW ANSWER FOR IT!"

Terrog whirled his blade flaring like a cutting torch.

He parried her blow and sent her flying again with the Force.

It was at that moment that Fenn and Shyra attacked him from behind. He turned and parried their attacks, giving Avaryss another opportunity to attack the so called Questus devices; she used the Force to raise up the dead dark lord's sarcophagus.

Here is a little chance for revenge, my lord, she thought.

Take it!

She sent it flying towards the walkway like a missile it crashed through two more of the infernal machines.

Terrog howled like a maddened animal. He raised his hands over his head. Broken machines and debris began to spin through the air like a tornado.

Avaryss cut away two before she was struck in the back and sent stumbling….

…Stumbling right into the path of Darth Terrog.

The Dark lord roared as he brought down his blade, he rained down the most savage strikes that Avaryss had ever seen.

He was faster than her master, and far faster than Fehl.

He is a Darth, the darkness whispered.

What do you expect!

"I offered you the galaxy," he shouted, "You stupid child, do you not realize what you have done?!"

Shyra sprinted towards him again, only to be caught in another Force grip, and flung away like she was nothing.

Terrog raised his hand and sent a maelstrom of Sith lightning crackling towards Avaryss. She was able to block only half of the attack.

She fell to her knees.

Terrog moved in for the kill.

He roared as he brought his blade down looking to cut her in half.

She rolled out of the way and tried to rise only to be kicked in the cut and struck in the jaw by a huge brutish fist.

Avaryss stagger back and spit out several teeth.

She laughed through the blood and saliva that fell from her mouth.

"You hit like a girl," she hissed and spit blood on his boots.

Terrog sent her flying again she struck the underside of one of the walkways.

She heard something snap inside of her.

Not good!

It was at that moment that extinction class bombers she had sensed finally closed to killer range. Having been freed of Battle meditation of Terrog's toys they were able to regain their focus even as their enemy lost some at the realization of how badly outnumbered they were.

The bombers dropped their payload.

The bombs fell through the energy shield fell through and detonated on the surface of the station.

The observation dome cracked, as explosions lit up the void outside the gases from the nebula igniting as the air inside the station rushed out feeding the proton fire.

"Terrog roared as his base tilted under his feet.

"NO!" he shouted.

"NOOOOO!"

Avaryss grinned and raised her arm the one that she wore the alchemist's bracer.

Time to make things at little worse for you, my lord, she thought.

She focused her anger and pain through the bracer, the crystal on her wrist flared.

A bolt of pure dark side energy flew from the bracer and struck the dark lord in the chest, burning both his robes, and damaging his cybernetics!

He was thrown back into Fenn and Shyra; the mongrel went low, while Fenn went high.

Terrog should have been cut in three pieces, but he managed to parry both of their attacks and flip back out of the way.

"GNATS!" he growled, "YOU ARE NOTHING TO ME!"

He seized Fenn in a Force grip straggling him.

Shyra slashed at the dark lord's arm, the cybernetics beneath his sleeve saved him from losing the appendage.

He grabbed his creation by the throat, lifted her up and flung her as hard as he could into Fenn, both went down hard.

The dark lord blasted them both with Force lightning! The two Jedi cried out in agony!

Avaryss managed to find her feet. She was injured, perhaps fatally so, but she would be damned if Terrog managed to escape her wrath.

He forced her hand, forced her to kill, Fehl.

HE would answer for that.

She raised her hands summoning a death field, its power destroying the remaining Questus devices destroying the last of Darth Terrog's protective shield.

The life energy within was just enough to get her in fighting shape again.

She dashed forward.

Terrog heard her coming and spun to meet her. Their blades clashed with an evil hiss."

Terrog glared at her, his silver droid eyes reflecting her damaged reflection back at her.

"You think you are pretty smart don't you?!" he snapped.

"Well I did end your reign, didn't I," she said dryly.

The dark side howled through Terrog! It built like volcano, and then…

…it exploded!

Terrog pushed her away and went on the attack, Soresu shielded her but he was too fast, way too fast. She blocked with her right hand while she raised her left to blast him back with Force lightning! He would…

AIIIIIEEEEEEEE!

Avaryss shrieked as Terrog breached her defenses. His blade lashed out.

Her left arm came away; it was severed in a vicious diagonal cut at the elbow!

She wailed in agony.

She had been cut by a lightsaber before, but nothing like this, her arm felt like it had been plunged into a river of liquid nitrogen!

Her red eyes widened in horror!

MY ARM!?

MY ARRRRRRRM!

Terrog kicked her lightsaber out of her hand.

He caught her in a Force grip and sent her flying, she struck the dome only to bounce off and go flying back across the dome to slam into the other side.

She struck again, and again, and again!

Finally, Terrog sent her flying back down to the deck. She hit with enough force to snap both her legs, and still the pain did not stop!

He blasted her with Force lightning! The bones in her remaining hand shone through her skin; that was how intense the lightning was. Her sonic bafflers popped and caught fire, she needed to rip them out before she was burned.

Avaryss lay on the deck, her legs broken her arm gone. She wheezed, unable to really catch her breath.

Terrog stood over her; he towered over her like a colossus, death itself given form.

This is it, she thought, this is how I die."

"Young fool," he hissed, "Only now do you understand."

Terrog raised his hands.

"I am Terrog! I AM THE LIVING WILL OF THE FORCE! I AM…!"

"DEAD!"

Fenn lunged out of the smoke and wreckage, his blue blade flashing towards the dark lord's head.

Again Terrog spun, and again he parried Fenn's attack. He elbowed the Jedi in the jaw and sent him crashing down next to Avaryss.

No, she murmured through the blood filling her lungs.

Not like this, she thought.

Not Fenn!

She tried to reach out to him, to let him know that she was still here, that she had not betrayed him, that she could never betray him.

"You…you are mine," she murmured.

"I…I love you."

Terrog sneered down at both of them, the cybernetics on his chest was breached, and blood ran down his left cheek.

He reached out with the Force and pulled an injured Shyra to him she flew to him as he wrapped his fingers around her throat, he held her up one handed. She gurgled, whimpered and struggled, her lightsaber was gone.

"It is over," he shouted, "I am victorious! I'm invincible, I'm immortal! I am a GOD! I am…"

Fenn roared; he raised his hands, his fingers stretching out for the mad Sith Lord.

Golden lightning exploded from his fingertips.

It struck Terrog in chest.

The dark lord began to convulse, the voltage burning his flesh and burning out his cybernetics.

Avaryss looked up in disbelief. Fenn was not angry, what he was unleashing had nothing to do with the dark side.

She tried to touch him a spark of the golden lightning travelled up her arm.

She wailed in agony.

Normal Force lightning she understood, but this was not normal Force lightning.

The Jedi did not usually use such a gift, but she had heard about it, the ability to transform courage and compassion into a lethal strike.

Force Judgment; that is what it had been called in the books she had found on Korriban.

She had never thought to see it used, but…

She whimpered.

Normal Force lightning just burned the body, Force Judgement did something else.

It scorched the spirit to a dark force user, it was even worse!

She felt a wave of crushing guilt wash over her. Guilt for the Jedi she had slain; guilt for people who had died on Myrnn 9 when she had blown up the neighborhood to hide her attack on the Jedi enclave. Shame for the death of the men on the mining guild station.

It was too much!

TOO MUCH!

_**NOOOOOOOOO!**_

She and Terrog wailed as one.

LET ME DIE, she wailed.

"PLEASE JUST LET ME DIE!"

She somehow managed to let go of Fenn, he continued to bombard Terrog.

She curled up into a ball and sobbed.

Her hand drifted down to the pouch on her leg, the pouch where she had hidden the crystal, the dark side energy rushed into her, pushing back the effect of the light side lightning.

He is vulnerable, the darkness whispered.

The Darth is vulnerable.

Do it

Strike now!

DO IT!

She pulled out the crystal, gripping it in her right arm, trying to not look at the burnt stump that had been her left one.

Fenn finally collapsed, exhausted by his final attack.

Terrog fell to his knees, his silver eyes were melted the wires that ran up his jaw were glowing white from the heat.

"Not over," he wheezed, "Not…over, my body…is perfect…it is healing itself, I will be back on my feet in…"

Avaryss snarled and lunged forward.

She buried the sharpened crystal into the Dark Lord's unarmored side. He wailed and stumbled back, trying to get away from...

Avaryss, despite the pain laughed.

Gotcha, she thought smiling thought broken teeth.

She began to chant, to speak the words she had learned from the scroll in the abandoned tomb.

For the briefest of moments, she got a glimpse of the Sith Sorceress, the one who had been buried in that tomb.

"You know the words," the long dead Sith whispered.

Use them.

Cast the spell.

The crystal began to glow; it flared with violet colored light. Terrog looked down at it and snarled.

"What is this," he spat, "A magic trick!"

Avaryss almost laughed, she would have if she was not in so much pain.

It is no trick, she thought, it is sorcery, the darkest of Sith sorcery, from the time before the Jedi hunted us to near extinction, back in the days of Tulak Hord, Marka Ragnos and Ajunta Pal. It is from the days when we were the sorcerer kings of a mighty Empire enjoying its golden age, back before the treacherous Daragon spies came, back before the Holocaust!

Terrog tried to pull the crystal out, and found out that he could not.

Avaryss reached out to it with her magic, she could feel the crystal doing its work, drawing away the dark lord's life force, his very essence.

Darth Terrog gasped and sank to his knees.

"WHAT IS THIS!" he gasped.

Avaryss grinned. She was connected to the crystal now, despite the pain of having her arm severed, she was drawing on the life energy that was flowing through the crystal.

Terrog's massive arms and legs began to shrink his thick neck and muscles started to melt away.

She glared at the dark lord; his body was melting away, like a snowman being hit by a flamethrower.

But he would not die, no he would not.

Avaryss' grin widened.

Death was too quick for traitors.

The fate she had condemned Terrog to was something far worse.

And far more delicious!

This can't be happening," Terrog said; he tried grabbing his lightsaber only to have the weight of it crumble his hand to ash.

He stared in horror.

He looked at Avaryss.

"Harlot!"

"Witch!"

Sorceress, actually," she said, his life energy pulling her back from the brink.

"But you may call me death."

Avaryss said the final words of the chant.

Terrog let out one final gurgling cry.

Then it was over, his flesh crumbled away leaving only his melted cybernetics to clatter to the floor.

She watched as his silver eyes fell from his head and landed before her, she watched as the light faded from the optics.

She grinned triumphantly.

"Behold the Living Will of the Force," she said.

She watched as his empty robes finally toppled over, empty of all but dust.

She reached out with the Force, she pulled.

The crystal emerged from the empty robes, it flew into her hand.

She looked down into its depth and felt a sense of grim satisfaction.

Terrog's soul had not entered the madness beyond death; she had not been feeling that kind.

It was now trapped within the crystal, trapped for all time! Terrog's spirit would spend the rest of eternity in torment, caught in a place between life and death.

She could feel his agony, his soul wailing silently.

"Enjoy, my lord," she said.

"Welcome to an ever living hell."

She lay back cradling the crystal in her remaining arm.

The station shook violently beneath them one of the walkways exploded violently.

Avaryss lay back and sighed contently.

It seemed that the Sith Fleet had finally breached Terrog's defenses.

It would not be long now, she thought.

This place was doomed.

Wonderful.

She tried to stagger to her feet, to begin the long journey back to her ship. Another explosion rocked the station flinging her back down. She struck her head hard.

No, she thought.

She tried to get up.

I must get up.

I can't die like this.

She felt arms around her lifting her up, carrying her away from the ramp, away from the exit.

_No,_ she tried to cry.

_I don't need help,_

_Leave me._

"This way," she heard Fenn shout, "Shyra hurry! This way!"

Avaryss blinked.

What way?

Where were the Jedi taking her?!

The deck pitched beneath them. Fenn stumbled as Avaryss heard the hiss of an airlock.

What is happening, she thought.

What was going on!

There was a blinding flash that hurt her eyes, she screamed and tried look away.

No, she thought.

No!

I won!

I'm a hero!

The world turned white around her.

She screamed.

_**I cannot die.**_

She screamed in fury.

_**I cannot die!**_

Light turned to darkness, and then…

…silence.


	71. A Trial of Spirit

**Chapter 71: A Trial of Spirit**

"Keera?"

She groaned, not wishing to come back from the void.

"Keera? Can you hear me?"

She could, but she didn't want to. For the first time in years…she had been dreaming. No nightmares haunted her, no fears of the past rose up to disturb her rest…

…in this one…singular moment…she was happy.

She was dreaming of home. She was dreaming of Oridanna. She had just gotten back from her chores, checking the spore collection towers, making sure they were all functioning at peak efficiency. She had finished and now returned home, a contented smile on her face.

They had once been so…tedious to her, her chores, but now, after everything she had seen and done. She realized what a simple pleasure they had been.

It was nice to be able to return to something simple.

Her fiancé was waiting for her. Fenn stood outside her family farm as she brought her swoop skidding to a halt before him. She had been trying to startle him a little, make him jump back, but he did not. He knew that she would never try to hurt him, but that did not mean he was above punishing her just a little bit for transgression.

He pulled her off her bike and spun her around. She giggled and struggled weakly in his arms. He ended those struggles by pulling her in for a deep and passionate kiss. Her heart pounded in her chest as he held her close awakening a flood of need and desire.

Hot she thought, he...he...

She sighed.

He makes me so hot!

A noise off to their left interrupted them, the sound of someone clearing their throat, loudly, her father was watching, frowning at the young man that had won his daughter's heart.

Keera sighed.

Dad did not like Fenn very much, what he had seen in the war made him leery of anyone who walked the Jedi path.

_Wait? _

_What?_

_How could someone who walked the Jedi path move freely about the Empire?_

The question and any possible answer faded quickly from her mind, of course Fenn was here, and he was her betrothed.

_Why would he be anywhere else?_

Her Father sighed, shook his head, and returned to the garage, to the machines that he still had some control over. Emperor knew, his eldest daughter no longer listened, at least, she suspected that he thought that now.

Mya Lylos emerged from the house; she chuckled to herself when she saw the nervous and embarrassed looks on the two lovers' faces.

She gave her daughter a supportive look, and a gentle smile.

"Pay him no mind Keera," her mother said, "You could have brought home the most eligible and wealthy bachelor in the Empire, and your father would still not be happy."

She smiled at her eldest daughter.

"You will always be his little blossom; it will take time for him to accept that he needs to let you go.

Both she and Fenn nodded, accepting her mother's words. Fenn kissed his future bride on the cheek and went down into the house; he had promised mother his aid in tending to certain matters for the party tonight.

Keera was left alone with her mother, the two of them basking in the sweet twilight of another Oridanna day.

"Mom," Keera asked, suddenly feeling a strange sensation in her gut, her left arm itched horribly all of a sudden, it felt like it was burning.

"What is going on?"

Mya Lylos gave her a sad smile.

"I'm sorry you never got to have this, Keera," she said, "I'm sorry the galaxy had to be so cruel."

Keera's brow furrowed.

_Cruel?_

_She…she did not understand._

_She did __**not**__ want to understand._

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Her mother came up to her and kissed her on the forehead, tears filled Keera's eyes, even though she didn't really understand why.

"You need to come home, Keera," she said, "She needs you now."

Her daughter blinked.

"Come home? I…I don't understand?"

_Who needed her?_

"You have not made your final choice yet," her mother repeated, "Come home daughter, come home."

Her mother walked away, humming the lullaby that she had sang to her children when they were small.

"MOM! WAIT!"

"Come home, Keera," Mya Lylos repeated as she went back down into the house.

"Come home."

IOI

Avaryss gasped and opened her eyes. Her heart was pounding. She was left feeling disoriented, the dream tried to hold onto her, tried to pull her back down.

Part of her wanted to let it do just that, just go back and lose herself in the sweet fantasy, but she could not, the Force called out to her, warning her.

She was Avaryss, a Lord of the Sith…

…and…she was in danger.

She woke to the smells of a medical bay, the sickeningly familiar stench of kolto and antiseptics. She lay quietly in the bed, trying to get her bearings.

Trying to figure out what was going on.

This place, she thought observing through slitted eyes, hoping that no one realized that she was awake. She was familiar with the design of medical bays. She had been in more than a few since joining the order. This place, the design of it was not familiar.

The pale white walls, the warm lightning, everything here seemed to suggest an aura of comfort, an attempt to put the wounded at ease. The Sith opinion on medical treatment was not like that, injuries were often seen a sign of weakness, in the Empire you were healed, but at the same time, you were meant to realize that any injury you had suffered was a lesson.

If you had been hurt, then you were not strong enough, you needed to reflect on that, and try harder. You needed to grow stronger.

What better lesson could an injury teach?

Scattered memories of what she had faced on Terrog's station returned. She remembered the journey up, her final confrontation with Fehl. She remembered standing with Fenn and Shyra when they confronted Darth Terrog, and…

She hissed softly.

She looked down and to her left.

The sight almost made her cry.

She had hoped that _**that**_ part had been a dream.

Damn it…, she thought.

…So much for my vaunted skills with a blade.

Her left arm was indeed gone, removed just above the elbow. The medical droids had wrapped what remained in a kind of protective sleeve, a covering of some sort; she saw tubes leading into it, likely feeding kolto into the wound to aid with the healing process. The flesh that she could see looked red and irritated, she could see that several metal devices had been inserted close to the wound.

She had seen such components before, they were used to prepare and preserve the nerves in an appendage that had been severed. They were used to prepare someone to receive an artificial limb.

Several of her enemies over the years had needed such devices, the late and unlamented Hazen for example.

She never thought that she would need some. She had trusted her skills, but against a Darth…they had failed her.

_Better to lose an arm than a head_, the darkness whispered, _in this, at least, you have a chance to recover, and grow stronger._

That was one way to look at this, to see something positive in what had happened, but that small vain part of her mind still almost sobbed.

Terrog had said she would kneel to him, that he would remake her with cybernetic devices.

His vision had not been totally correct. She had knelt before him, but only to drive her crystal blade into him. As for the cyborg parts…well…he had caused her to have those too…in end.

She whimpered.

She had been too slow, and Terrog had made her pay for it. She still remembered what had happened. She had been back pedaling, blocking his attacks with her lightsaber, and brought up her hand to blast him with Force lightning.

She remembered seeing the blade come down, a blood red beam of hungry death. She remembered being unable to pull her hand out of the way fast enough, and the sudden heat as the blade found her, seeing her sleeve burst into flame, and then looking up in horror as her arm tumbled away, sparks of lightning still flickering from her fingertips, and then…the cold…the horribly glacial cold!

You would think that a lightsaber wound would burn like a star, but it did not.

It hurt like the cold unforgiving void of space.

He might not have killed her, but he left her vulnerable.

It would take time to fully recover from this, if she even could.

Metal was poor substitute for flesh. She would never be able to generate force lightning with a metal hand. She might not even be able to…

_Stop sniveling_, the darkness whispered in the back of her mind.

_You still draw breath, as long as that is so, your life is not over._

She tried to take solace in that. She tried to turn despair into anger, to direct her emotions into something other than self-pity.

Terrog had paid the price for her wound. Her suffering was temporary, fixed easily enough.

His would be for an eternity, a fitting punishment for his crimes against their Emperor and the Sith Order as a whole.

She had been the Empire's weapon, a tool of both justice and revenge.

Losing an arm was a minor sacrifice if it meant preserving the Empire.

She nodded, accepting that fact, her injury still horrified her, but at least now she was on the path to acceptance, and from there…she would be able to face recovery.

She had made her peace with it, in fact, as she lay there, she had an idea of how to make it better, to ensure that she would not lose as much as she feared, a way to preserve, and regain, some of what she had lost.

She tried to sit up, to call for the medical droids to attend her.

She found that she couldn't.

Her eyes narrowed.

She was strapped down to the bed. Her remaining hand and feet were shackled.

What is this, she wondered.

What in the Emperor's name was going on?!

She tried to break the restraints to free herself. She tried to call on the Force, but her connection to it was slippery, no doubt from whatever painkillers the medical droids had used, but that would not stop her.

She would focus, burn away the effect of the drugs, and then free herself. She would.

"Try to relax, witch," a familiar voice said gruffly.

"You are not in any danger."

Avaryss sighed and tilted her head. Shyra Viel sat in a chair near her bed. Clad in a hospital robe and gown, the Jedi Padawan appeared to have been watching over her, or perhaps…guarding her.

Avaryss frowned.

"Oh," she said, "It's you."

Shyra snorted, giving her a toothy grin.

"Hello to you too, witch. I would think you would be a little more grateful considering the fact that Fenn and I pulled you off that station before it went down."

She shook her head.

"We could have done as you asked and left you behind, remember that."

Avaryss closed her mouth; she glared at her rival, but did not insult her further.

She was right after all.

They could have left her behind.

She could be as dead as Terrog right now.

"What happened," she asked, "Where am I?"

"We're aboard the Recovery, a Republic medical ship. The fleet fell back into Republic space after the battle. I'm not sure of our exact location, but we are out of danger. We've taken up a holding positon near some gas giant. Our cruisers took a pounding from Terrog's ships, but we should be underway again once repairs have been completed."

Avaryss' frown deepened.

Republic ship.

Inside Republic space.

Neither of those facts was encouraging to her.

"The battle?" she asked "What happened?"

Shyra sighed, and rolled her eyes, but she did not keep Avaryss in suspense. They had shed blood together after all.

After that, answering a few questions did not cost that much.

According to the mongrel, The Republic fleet had moved in after the first Sith bombing run had been successful. Terrog's fleet had been occupied trying to hold back the Sith forces, and in doing so had been caught in a pincer. While the larger vessels had attacked the fleet, the smaller cruisers and corvettes had gone in to attack the station. They targeted its stabilizers and power systems that fed off the nebula. Even with the distraction it had been a tough fight, Terrog's remaining fighter craft had harassed the attackers, even managing to shoot down one of the corvettes causing it to crash into the station. The soldiers that survived managed to fight their way to the stations hangar bays, and secure several shuttles, they escaped just before the Republic fleet were able to deal a killing blow to Terrog's so called…"Temple of Life."

Losing its primary stabilizers had been the death knell for the place; it fell back into the nebula and was consumed by the electrical discharges from within. The last shuttle just managed to get clear when the place finally exploded.

"Fenn and I managed to get you to an escape pod," the beast girl informed her, "One of the retreating shuttles detected us. We took some damage from floating debris as we launched, our engines were damaged and we were starting to be pulled down in the nebula. The shuttle caught our pod in a tractor beam and pulled us back to the fleet. The Force was with us, we could just have easily gone down with the station."

Avaryss said nothing.

Perhaps it would have been better for her, if they had.

"What about my crew?" she asked, "Xen, Holli and the others, did you hear anything about them?"

"No," Shyra admitted, "The battle was fairly chaotic, but if it makes you feel any better, it is a safe bet that they made it to safety."

"Why do you say that?"

"We picked up Sith transmissions. That Dark Lord Marr was claiming victory, saying that the Sith had acquired a vaccine to Terrog's virus."

Avaryss nodded, happy to hear that at least.

Praise, the Emperor, she thought.

At least something of her plan had worked out.

She wondered if anyone realized that she had survived. Her apprentices might have sensed it, but she was smart enough to recognize that they would not be able to do much for her, not when she was on a ship in the middle of the Republic fleet.

No, if she was going to get out of this, she would need to come up with something herself.

Avaryss regarded the beast girl, despite the pounding she had taken; she seemed in fairly good shape.

"I'm guessing that I got the worst of the three of us," she said.

"You were in a bad way when you were brought aboard," Shyra informed her. "Though, I suppose we were all pretty beaten down at that point. Me…I heal fast, one of the gifts that I'm actually grateful for Terrog for. Fenn was…"

Avaryss' eyes widened.

"Fenn," she gasped, "Is he alright?"

Shyra gave her a suspicious look Avaryss could sense the emotions churning within her.

She leaned in closer to the young Sith.

"I don't know what your game is Sith, but I would advise you to stop it. Fenn has suffered enough because of your foul kind."

Avaryss pursed her lips.

The mongrel did not understand.

She would never understand.

Fenn Shadowstone was the one person that Avaryss would not lie to, the one Jedi that she did not desire to see dead.

She would no more hurt him than she would hurt herself.

He was part of her.

She would never harm him.

"Is he okay," she repeated, "Shyra…please?"

The girl sniffed.

"He is fine," she informed him, "He broke a few ribs during the fight, but it was nothing a few hours in a kolto tank couldn't heal."

Shyra growled.

"You've been unconscious for three days now; Fenn was at your side for most of that time. Master Jas convinced him to get some rest."

Again the beast girl leaned in closer. Whispering so that only Avaryss could hear her.

"People are starting to talk about you and him," she said, "They do not think he is motivated totally from the compassion of the Jedi. If you care at all for him, and his future, convince him not to behave so, it will go badly for him in the long run."

"You think that I don't know that," Avaryss murmured.

Does she actually think that we have a choice about this, Avaryss wondered. Our connection is strong, it always has been, and now that we have met, spent time in each other's company…

The Force seemed intent on pulling them together, like binary stars, both caught in the other's gravity.

Avaryss sighed.

"He is my destiny, and I'm his" she said, "We can't escape it."

"In your dreams, witch," Shyra spat.

Avaryss smirked; the cruelty that she usually held at bay came up.

"You have no chance with him, you know that, yes? Why would he want something like you when he and I have been…?"

Shyra Viel growled she raised her large paw; her claws seemed to extend, thick and sharp enough to tear out Avaryss' throat.

"SHUT YOUR BLOODY MOUTH WITCH!"

Avaryss held her breath.

One swipe of that paw and it was all over.

She felt the mongrel's anger, her desire to kill. The darkside was whispering in her ear, begging her to give in and kill her rival.

Shyra's eyes narrowed, she took a deep breath and let it out. Her anger went with it.

She lowered her hand.

Avaryss sighed, and laughed.

"Your master was right," she said, "We are very much alike. We both strive for the similar things, want what we want."

The Sith pursed her lips again.

"It is a shame, in another world we could have been friends, but now…

"We have a destiny to, I can sense it. One day, you and I will fight, and only one of us will walk away when it is over."

If the beast girl saw the same thing, she would not tell Avaryss, her eyes narrowed.

"When that day comes," she growled, "I will be ready, witch."

"As will I, mongrel," Avaryss promised.

The door hissed behind them, drawing their attention. Jas Dar Bynn, Vey Ilo, and four Republic troopers in full battle armor entered the room.

Avaryss shuddered slightly at the sight.

She had to admit, the Republic troopers did have an air of…menace about them. The bone white armor over the black body suits, the white bucket helmet with its skull like features and black empty lenses for eyes, no wonder the common imperial citizen was so intimidated.

Not that she was intimidated; her father had told her stories of killing such men. Despite the armor the man inside could be killed like any other.

She took solace in that.

"How are you feeling, Sith?" Jas Dar Bynn asked.

"Well enough, Master Jedi," she responded, "Though, I must wonder how long by good health will last."

Master Jas chuckled.

He gestured and an orderly entered pushing a hover chair.

"Come along, Avaryss," he said, "We are going for a walk."

IOI

She could feel the eyes on her as they passed.

Avaryss said nothing as she was pushed down the corridor, Republic soldiers and naval officers looked at her as they moved by.

She wondered how many of them had ever seen a Sith up close, not many she would wager, most common soldiers would not survive such a meeting, not on the battlefield anyway.

She found herself growing curious.

What were the Jedi up to now? She doubted that they would allow her to return to the Empire, treaty or not.

If they try to torture me, she thought, than they are just wasting their time.

_I will tell them __**nothing.**_

She was surprised by the different species she saw represented here. Part of her had always thought that the Republic's rhetoric about equality was just that, rhetoric. She had believed that they allowed aliens into the Jedi just to keep the nonhuman population in line, to make them feel like they had a voice, while the corrupt Senators and Jedi council manipulated those worlds, convincing them to surrender the treasures of their various worlds.

They are no different than we are, this Republic, Avaryss thought.

We both want this galaxy, but we Sith are honest about it.

We do not hide behind lies and falsehoods.

_They unite because they know fear, _the darkness whispered, _they fear the superiority of the dark side, and one day they will realize that even together they are no match for its full power._

_One day. The Sith will rule, and order, __**true**__ order, will come._

_They will kneel, or they will fall!_

The thought comforted her, even brought a smile to her face.

She noticed one alien officer watching her, a creature with a squid-like head. She could not remember the name of the species, but it was definitely watching her.

Take a good long look creature, she thought.

Behold one of your future overlords.

The alien officer said nothing as they passed, it simply returned to its work.

Interesting, she thought, she had felt a slight tremor in the Force, what that meant, she could not say.

Very interesting.

Jas Dar Bynn led them to a large briefing room, the door hissed open to reveal, five people communicating with the ship's captain by hyper-comm."

The one in the center of the gathering, a dark haired woman in the robes of the Jedi addressed them first.

"Master Jas," she said a strong, yet warm voice, "Is this the one you were telling us about?"

"It is indeed, Master Satele," he answered.

The Jedi hologram bowed slightly.

"Greeting Sith, I am Satele Shan."

Avaryss gave her an arched look.

Satele Shan, she thought, oh my.

The Jedi Grand Master at least that was the title she had heard when some referred to the Jedi Councilor in briefings.

Avaryss smirked.

"I will tell you nothing," she said flatly, "You might as well kill me right now."

A hint of a smile came to the Jedi woman's lips.

"You have courage that is clear."

She glanced up at Jas Dar Bynn.

"Master Jas said that you would not be cooperative."

Avaryss shrugged.

I'm being held prisoner by enemies of the Empire.

Why would I wish to cooperate with them?

The holograms to Satele Shan's left and right were also Jedi they identified themselves as Tol Braga, and Orgus Dinn. Braga was a member of an insectoid looking species that Avaryss did not recognize. Dinn was a tough looking older human; he looked ready for a fight even now.

Besides the two Jedi were two Republic officers, Generals if Avaryss' knowledge of the enemy military uniforms was correct. The first was a green skinned Mon Cala; he identified himself as Var Suthra. His companion was a grey haired human woman with cold and unforgiving eyes. Satele Shan said her name was Garza, a commanding officer in the Republic SIS.

That title got Avaryss' attention.

"So…you were the one that let Sy Dar Bynn play his little games," Avaryss said in a silky venomous voice.

Garza did not rise to the bait.

""If I may master Jedi," the woman said, "May I suggest that this woman be returned to Coruscant immediately. If she is who she says she is; she should be taken before the courts. She should answer for her many crimes"

"And what would be my crime, general?" Avaryss asked.

"Murder," she answered, "Our agents within the Empire have confirmed this one is responsible for countless SIS deaths. She has been on a killing spree for months."

"Have I," Avaryss said innocently, "My…I have been a bad girl haven't I?"

Her comment did not amuse the general.

"This thing is a evil heartless monster," she said, "Too many good men and women have died because of her actions."

Avaryss chuckled.

"Evil," she said, "It is merely a point of view. Is a Firaxa shark evil? Is a rancor evil? We Sith maybe predatory, but that does not make us evil."

"Predators kill to survive," Garza answered, "they do not kill for pleasure. They do not enjoy it."

"Why should we not enjoy our work?"

General Var Suthra huffed.

"So, we are just prey for you, Sith? Is that right?

Avaryss shrugged a cunning smile on her face.

"Someone has to be."

The Republic officers both glared at her. Avaryss did not give the Jedi a chance to intervene, to try and diffuse the situation.

She chose to strike out again.

As for your good men and women, I would respond that they were **not** good men and women, but criminals violating a treaty that my empire signed in good faith. You call me a murderer for hunting your operatives, well, let us look at it from another perspective, what would you have done? If the situation had been reversed, if you had found Sith agents working to destabilize the Republic, fomenting civil war within your ranks. Would you have shown _**them**_ any mercy? Would you have hesitated in trying to remove them? Answer me that, question, generals, and I will be willing to cooperate in any way."

Both of the officer's fell silent, Avaryss felt she had scored a hit, but did not push it further.

It was clear that the Generals were not in charge here, it seemed that they were willing to defer to the Jedi on this matter.

She was curious to see exactly what that meant.

"The council will consider what you have said, General Garza," Orgus Dinn promised, "But first we need to see if our fellow Jedi's opinion of this girl warrants further examination."

"Indeed," Master Braga said, "If Master Jas is to be believed, this Sith has had dealing with high ranking members of the Empire, what she knows could be very valuable."

Avaryss sneered.

…and there it was. She thought.

They were only interested in what she knew, what they could take from her. She **knew** it, well…they weren't going to get anything out of her.

She would not give them anything to hurt her people.

She would not.

"Masters," Vey Ilo sang out in that musical voice of hers, ""It is more than information that should concern us here. Despite her words, this girl is not like other Sith that we have encountered. Yes, she serves the dark side, but as we fought together, I sensed something else, something more."

"And what would that be, old friend," Shan asked.

"Something that makes her more like us than she would admit, beneath her own ambitions, she holds great love for her Empire, a willingness to die to protect it. During the battle against Terrog's forces she showed compassion to her companions. She even allowed us to save one of them. Those actions are not of one completely lost to the dark side."

"What are you saying Vey?" Master Orgus asked.

"I'm asking for permission to bring her to the temple. I believe that we can help this girl. I believe that she can be redeemed."

Avaryss' jaw almost hit the floor.

What?!

NO!

NEVER!

She would never betray her people like that!

"I will not be corrupted," she spat at Vey Ilo, "I will NEVER fall to the light!"

He comment amused Tol Braga.

"Fall to the light," he said, "I never thought I would hear those words."

""I must protest, masters," General Garza said.

"I agreed," Var Suthra added, "This woman has proven herself a dangerous enemy of the Republic, rewarding her by making her a Jedi would be an insult to all the brave men and women that have died at her hands."

"All deserve a chance at redemption," Vey said, "With time and training, young Avaryss may come to regret her actions. She may come to understand why those that died did what they felt they had to do."

I know why they did what they had to do," Avaryss thought, "They hoped to destroy my home!

They wanted to bring down the Empire!

She would never stand with such filth!

NEVER!

"I will not turn," she hissed, "I will NEVER submit to you!"

She glared up at the Jedi on the holo.

"Any attempt to brainwash me will fail! All you will do is harden my resolve to free the galaxy of your taint."

She gave the Jedi a cruel smile.

"One day, your order will be hunted to extinction. This endless cycle of civil war in the Force will end. The Dark Lords of the Sith will avenge all those that perished in the Sith Holocaust, every slight you have ever levied against us. The Sith will rule the galaxy, and the people will know peace at last, the stability of Empire and power. You can't defeat us…"

She tried to rise from her chair, her anger growing.

"Submit to the inevitable, welcome _**extinction!"**_

Shyra Viel had been standing in the back; she had followed them into the calm room.

She leapt up and shoved Avaryss back down in her chair, the Sith hissed and glared hatefully at her.

"SILENCE WITCH!" she spat.

"Shyra!" Vey said sternly.

The Padawan looked up at her master, her expression morphing from one of anger to shame.

"I'm sorry master, but…I couldn't let her…"

Shyra shook her head.

"I'm sorry."

Var Suthra looked at Satele Shan.

"Do you still think this one is worth saving, Master Satele?"

Satele Shan sighed.

"The path to the light is never a straight one," she said, "Mercy for one such as this may seem ill-advised, but there have been Sith in the last eighteen years that have seen the error of their ways. They have come to the light, and helped us rebuild."

She gave Avaryss a compassionate look.

"I do not know what you suffered, child, but I'm willing to show you that we are not the demons you fear us to be."

"I fear nothing," Avaryss hissed.

"If that was so," Satele said, "You would not have fallen to the darkness."

Avaryss fell silent.

You know nothing about me, woman, she thought.

You know nothing.

The Jedi Grand Master nodded.

"It is rare that Vey Ilo advises us to help someone. She has been proven correct before, I'm willing to take this chance now."

She turned to Jas Dar Bynn.

"We shall ready quarters for this girl. You may bring her to the temple. We will do what we can for her."

Avaryss' rage at their arrogance continued to burn.

The arrogance, she thought.

The gall.

They can try to turn me, torture me, brainwash me, it will _**not**_ work; the darkness will be my shield, my guide.

I will not turn, she thought.

I will not.

Let the Jedi play their games; let them try to turn me away from the true path, the true nature of the Force.

_I know who I am,_ Avaryss thought.

I am Sith.

I'm _**Darth**_ Avaryss!

I will not fail.

I will not fall!

I.

WIL!

NOT!


	72. The Prisoner

**Chapter 72: The Prisoner**

"So…would either of you gentlemen like to be rich?"

Avaryss flashed her most winning smile. She tried to radiate both innocence and charm.

The two troopers standing guard outside her cell had not said two words to her since she had first been brought here. Word of her outburst in the comm room had gotten out, and it looked like the pubs were holding a grudge. At least, that is the impression she had gotten trying to speak with these two. Their white armor marked with red stripes seemed to command a great deal of respect with the other pubs here.

Perfect, she thought, just what I need.

She waited for them to respond, to ask the usual questions or statements: "How much?" or "You don't have enough credits."

Fortunately for her, she did, thanks to her TCS holdings.

She was pretty confident that she could buy anyone.

She waited for the soldiers to respond, they did not. They didn't even look at her.

Her smile faltered slightly, but at the same time, she knew she could not give up.

"I have credits, a secret account here in Republic space," she added quickly, "You would not believe how much, I would be most generous to the one who got me out of here, _**more**_ than generous."

Still…the soldiers ignored her, she wished to reach out with the Force and snap their necks, but the Force was currently blocked to her, either by the drugs given her by the medical droids, or perhaps some foul Jedi sorcery.

_It doesn't matter; I will not simply walk to my own execution._

_I __**won't**__ give in._

This would likely be the last time she would have a chance to get out of this. As soon as the Jedi took her to their hidden temple world, it would be all over.

Escape would be impossible.

_I can't give up._

Her smile returned as bright as ever.

"Would you both not like to have a better life? Do you truly enjoy the drudgery of being a mere trooper? I can free you from that."

Credits were supposed to have more value in the Republic, was that not how it was with these people, how the Republic's officials were _**all **_for sale, with power changing hands almost daily, and all to the clink of credits. The larger the sum, the more important the person you could buy.

She hoped that these men would prove those stories true; if not…she was lost.

When they finally answered, it was not the answer she had hoped for.

"Silence Sith," the one of the right said, "Havoc Squad is not for sale."

"You're a trooper killer, you are lucky we don't blast you right here." the left one added, "Continue to speak, and you will be gagged again."

Avaryss' smile fell, morphing into a frown. She had no desire to be gagged, not again. The pubs had forced a bit into her mouth after her outburst in the comm room. Both the Jedi and the Republic Generals had not appreciated it, she could not imagine why.

She had only told them the truth.

They were only delaying the inevitable.

Couldn't be bought huh?

The mere thought of it made her remaining hand curl into an angry fist, filled her with a desire to hit something.

So much for getting one of these men on her side...

…_She thought that at least one of them would be open to being bought._

_So much for that idea_, _and here I thought that common soldiers would have a bit more…ambition. _

She supposed that she had guessed wrong.

They might as well be droids; she thought miserably, she had been trying to get them to converse with her for the last hour, trying to find a weakness she could exploit. When they would not even talk to her, she started to panic. In desperation, she had turned to the idea of offering to bribe these men. Was it possible the stories were wrong, or had she had the unfortunate luck of meeting the only two honest soldiers in the Republic military? If so, the irony was not lost on her. In the empire, tales of the corruption within the Republic ranks was legendary. She had hoped to exploit that corruption. She still hoped to find a way out, to get out of here before the shuttle arrived to take her to where ever it was that the Jedi had built their new temple

So far she was having no luck. It was as frustrating as it was infuriating.

I have to get out of here, she thought.

My life can't end this way.

She began to pace, trying to think of something else. An uneaten meal tray sat near the front of the cell, she was not hungry; her anger and fear had overridden any thought of food.

She shook her head.

What am I going to do?

She tried to push back the fear, turn it into anger and hate as she had always done, sadly, without being able to touch the Force, all it did was remind her of her failure.

How it had been her own actions that had doomed her. Anyone else in the Empire would recognize that. It was for that reason that she could depend on no one but herself.

Emperor knew; no one else was coming to save her.

She doubted that anyone in the Empire would care that she was in Republic custody. Darth Marr was a realist; he would not see the value in freeing a single Sith, not if it tarnished their victory over Terrog in anyway. Lord Feer was likely pleased, no longer would he have to watch his back around her, perhaps he was even now searching the student roster of Korriban, looking for his next apprentice.

The thought angered her.

_So much for my grand destiny…_, she thought.

…So much for my rise to power.

She remembered her vision of sitting on the Imperial throne, of ruling over a vast Empire, with legions of soldiers at her command. That would never happen now, she would be lucky if she did not break under Jedi torture, and even if she did not she would likely be executed or spend the rest of her days in a Republic prison.

She had won a great victory, but in doing so traded a grand future of a crown, wealth, and finery for prison clothes.

Oh how sweet her reward was.

She looked down at the simple garments they had given her, grey legging and a matching shirt, far from the robes and armor that she had come to prefer in the last year.

Not that she would have any luck slipping into robes, she thought glumly. You never realized how useful it was to have two hands until you lost one. Simple things like eating, pulling up her hair, and working a data pad were not so easy when you only had one hand.

Even getting dressed was challenge now.

She could have used the Force, but the pubs were not stupid enough to let her have access to her abilities. If she had, she would not have needed to worry about bribing these troopers.

She simply would have crushed their necks and made her escape.

She sank down onto her bunk, and glared impotently at the soldiers, imagining what she would do if she had access to the Force.

Havoc Squad they had called themselves.

If she had had her powers, she would show them what _**real **_havoc was.

She was just starting to indulge in violent revenge fantasies when she sensed Fenn approaching. She was amazed how easy it was now. How quickly she picked him out, even with so many others onboard this vessel.

It seemed that their connection grew stronger the longer they were in close physical proximity. Who knew how strong it would become if they got…truly close.

She smiled.

She figured it was just how _physical_…their close physical proximity became.

It might have been exciting to explore that.

It would have been fun.

Fenn appeared before her, once again clad in his green Jedi robes. Despite some bruising to his face, he looked almost like his old self, and radiated with enough power to take her breath away. The troopers nodded respectfully as he approached; to them he was one of the heroes of the battle of Terrog Station, a role model.

The two of them had fought together, and yet she was seen as a monster for simply doing her duty?

Irony.

"I would like to speak with the prisoner alone," he said.

"Are you sure about **that** Master Jedi?" one of the troopers asked.

"You need to be careful around this one," the other warned, "she is getting desperate and…"

"I can sense her desperation," Fenn informed them, "You have nothing to fear, she is powerless here, and I can defend myself, please let me enter."

Powerless, Avaryss thought angrily, try not to sound so happy about that Fenn. Despite her affection for him, she was tempted to try and scare him, to provoke a reaction from the guards just to show him that she was not as powerless as he thought.

It would have been pointless though, a weak rebellion with little result, and it risked burning the one bridge that she gave a damn about, it risked alienating the one person that she had always trusted.

No, it was not worth it, not for such a tiny reward.

The soldiers looked at each other, clearly they did not think this was a good idea, but Fenn's new reputation was enough to sway them to obey.

Why had needed to convince them, she did not know. Why did he not simply use the Force to **order **them to leave?

_Maybe he did not have that power?_

_Maybe they were more alike in the Force than she realized._

They lowered the door energy field, and let him pass.

"We will give you five minutes, ser," the left hand trooper said, "Shout if you need anything."

Fenn nodded as he entered her cell. The guards reactivated the energy shield and went into the hall, leaving Avaryss alone with him.

She shivered at the mere sensation of it.

_Five minutes_, she thought glumly.

_That is not **near** enough time._

Not for what I truly want to do with him.

It would have been nice, to enjoy that comfort. It had been some time since she had been…intimate with someone.

She would have welcomed such intimacy, it would have been…soothing.

If Fenn picked up on her desire, he did not show it. He radiated only concern through the Force; no doubt he had heard what had happened in the comm room.

He sat down next to her.

"Hi," he said shyly.

"Hey," she responded, flashing him a weak smile.

"I don't suppose you could get me out of this, for old time's sake?"

Fenn sighed and shook his head.

"Embrace extinction," he said quoting her outburst to the general, "Did you **really** thing it was smart to say that?"

Avaryss shrugged.

"They made me mad. I wasn't thinking."

"That is clear enough," Fenn replied dryly.

Avaryss did not even have the strength to retort angrily at his last statement.

Fenn's concern only strengthened _**her**_ concern, her worry about what awaited her on the Jedi world.

She did not meet his gaze; she did not want him to see her like this, so weak and vulnerable.

It was embarrassing.

"Your people can torture me, but I will not break," she warned him.

"I will tell them nothing."

Fenn winced.

"No one is going to torture you."

She looked up at him, pinning him with a cold look.

"Oh they won't call it torture, not the wise masters of the Jedi council. They will call starvation and dehydration, fasting. They will deny me sleep and say that I'm holding a vigil or some other poo doo like that."

She shook her head.

"They will call it _conversion_, trying to open my eyes to the light, but it will still be torture…

"…And I will still not break."

Fenn shifted uncomfortably next to her, perhaps recognizing that she was not wrong in her estimation of what was about to happen.

He leaned in close, so that only she could hear him.

"I won't let anyone touch you," he promised, "I won't let anyone hurt you."

His words were comforting, but she doubted that he would be able to truly do anything.

The Jedi believed that she had information that would aid them in the next battle with the Sith.

They would not let a mere Padawan's feelings get in the way of extracting that information.

Emperor knew, a Sith certainly wouldn't.

Looking around Fenn spotted the dinner tray on the floor. He gave her an appraising look.

"You should eat," he advised, "Try and regain your strength; you haven't eaten much since you got here."

"The Force sustains me," she said proudly, "And besides…I'm not hungry."

A growl from her stomach made those words lies. Fenn smiled, but did not call her on it.

Avaryss bowed her head and gave him a sheepish grin.

"Maybe I could eat… a little."

He nodded and went to pick up the tray; he once again sat down beside her, holding it out to her so that she could take it.

She did not try; with her missing arm she would likely have spilled it on the ground or on herself.

She cursed under breath.

Damn it, why did she have to appear so weak before him?

Why?

Fenn, recognizing what was going on, did not say anything about it, he allowed her to keep what dignity she still had.

He held onto the food tray with one hand and with the other helped feed her. He broke up the bread into smaller pieces that she could take with one hand, and steadied the soup bowl for her so that she could eat without fear of spilling.

She was grateful, but…

She shook her head.

"This is so embarrassing," she said.

"Why," he asked, "You needed aid, and I chose to offer it."

He gave her a gentle smile.

"There is nothing in embarrassing about needing help."

She worried her lower lip with her teeth.

She supposed he was right. She had not begged for help after all, his compassion might be his undoing one day, but for now it served her ends.

For now, it was simply wise to accept it. Who knew what awaited her at the end of her journey to the Jedi planet.

She would need to keep up her strength, to endure...

…To always endure.

As she ate her eyes wandered over him, trying to sense any damage from their battle with Terrog. He seemed okay, but her memory of his leaping at the Dark Lord his use of Force Judgement…

If what she had read back on Fury 9 and Korriban was right, the Jedi did not teach that ability, she wondered where he learned it from.

There was so much about him that she didn't know. As children it had not mattered, they had simply enjoyed each other's company, as adults…well…

She wanted more

She wanted to know him.

She wanted to understand.

"You told me a little about yourself when we were dreaming of Ambria," she said softly, hoping that the listening devices that were sure to be in this cell were not strong enough to pick up her words.

I've shared much about me. Yet, I find I know so little about you. Where you're from? What have you been doing these last few years…?"

Fenn chuckled.

"There is really not much to say about that," he replied, "I was born on Corellia, but have not been back in years. My parents gave me to the order as a baby, and I've been a Jedi ever since."

"Do you ever see them, your parents I mean?"

Fenn shook his head no.

"The Jedi discourage such attachments. Even storied families like the Da-Bodas and Dar Bynns rarely have contact with their Jedi children after their training begins. The Shadowstones, my parents, it is hard to say what they would think if I went to them now. I'm not even sure why they gave me to the order."

He shook his head.

"Would they be proud? Would they be afraid of me? Who could say?"

Avaryss said nothing, she knew how mundanes of the Empire viewed the Sith masters. Could it be that the citizens of the Republic were equally worried about the Jedi? Were they afraid of their protectors?

She filed the information away for now, it might become useful later.

"I've been training with Master Jas for years now, as you know. Beyond that, and helping to rebuild the order and temple, there has been little time for anything else."

She nodded. She understood what it was like being bound to a busy master's whims, but still…

"Was it he that taught you Force Judgment? Does Master Jas know light side lightning?"

Fenn winced at her mention of the Force power that she had seen.

Perhaps he had hoped she was too out of it to have noticed.

"You saw that huh?

"Yes."

Fenn ran his hand through his spiky blond hair.

"Master Jas did not teach me how to conjure Force lightning. I…I discovered how to do it during my time in Coruscant's lower levels, after we fled the temple."

Fenn pursed his lips.

"As I told you once, we do what we could to survive down there, things that we were neither proud of, nor wanted to speak of again."

Sounds familiar, Avaryss thought, after all she had manifested a death field for the first time with no training, it had just come into being, a byproduct of her pain and rage. It had saved her life from Feer's enforcer, but it had also left with many questions, questions that had taken years to answer, and still she was not entirely satisfied with the answers she had found.

When she thought about that night, she still felt that she was missing something. After that night she had never been able to conjure a death field with such ease again. Perhaps it was just how her Force powers had first manifested, or…maybe…

…Maybe it was something more.

Whatever it was, that night had changed her life forever.

Perhaps what had happened to Fenn in the underbelly of Coruscant had done the same.

Eventually she would get the whole story out of him.

Eventually.

The guards returned, informing Fenn that his time with the prisoner was up. He took the now empty tray from her lap, and patted her remaining hand with his.

"Do not be afraid," he said, "I won't let anything happen to you."

She gave him another sheepish grin. She thought he was being naïve, but chose to remain silent about that.

It was possible that she might be able to use Fenn to find a way out of this, a way to return to the Empire.

Maybe…if and when she did escape, he would agree to come with her.

She would have liked to show him the Empire through her eyes.

She would have liked for him to see that they were not simply enemies to be destroyed.

The Sith were a passionate people.

She would have liked to have shown him that.

He took the empty tray and left her, a few hours later a Republic officer came to inform her she was being transferred off of his vessel to a shuttle, from there she would be taken to the Jedi's new temple world.

She was set to leave in about ten hours.

The realization did little to improve her mood. She bounced between pacing and lying on her bunk, trying to come up with a plan, a way to get out of this mess.

Sadly, she could not come up with anything, with the exception of trying to end her own life; she saw little chance to get out of this.

She lay down and tried to sleep, but rest would not come, she was too worked up to sleep.

There has to be a way out of this.

She knew there was.

There had to be a way!

Once again she felt Fenn's presence; he arrived a few moments later with four fully armored Republic troopers and Shyra Viel.

The two Jedi Padawans had volunteered to see her safely back to the new Jedi temple. They would be he escorts on this journey.

Avaryss could guess why Fenn had asked. Shyra's motivation was not so clear cut.

She does not care about your reaching this planet, the dark side whispered within her, the mongrel cares only about Fenn.

Maybe she is nervous; maybe she fears that Fenn might do something foolish.

Whatever the reason, the mongrel was coming along for the ride.

Avaryss was so thrilled.

They locked her remaining arm to her side. Her hand was secured against making any gestures that might allow her to try and focus the dark side. To prevent her speaking any spells, she had once again had a bit shoved into her mouth.

Unlike others she had faced, it seemed that these Jedi **did** know how to contain a Sith Sorceress.

Once she was safely secured they began the journey to the hangar bay, Fenn to her right, Shyra to her left.

Soldiers and techs watched as they passed. The young Sith glared impotently at them, they looked at her like she was some monster, some grotesque thing brought out for their amusement.

If she had access to her powers, she would show them exactly how wrong they were.

She could feel Shyra's regard on her; the beast girl was so hungry for her to try something, anything.

No doubt she would have enjoyed bringing Avaryss low.

The Sith did not give her the satisfaction of trying.

All her thoughts were now focused on the future.

What would happen when she was locked away in a Jedi cell?

She recognized the shuttle type when they finally entered the hangar, it was one of the larger vessels of its type, a long range shuttle that meant the Jedi planet could be anywhere in this quarter of the galaxy, where ever here even was.

The two Republic pilots stood outside the entrance ramp waiting for them. One was a blue skinned humanoid, the other a squid-headed Quarren.

Avaryss frowned when she saw the shuttle's copilot. He looked…familiar.

Was _**this**_ the same Quarren that had been watching her in the hall?

She could not say for certain. She did not know enough about the species to say this was the same one.

The lead trooper turned over some kind of data pad to the pilot, a transfer document or some such foolishness, she supposed. The other three troopers and the two Padawans escorted her up the boarding ramp, securing her in a passenger seat next to the shuttle's main hold. Fenn sat next to her while Shyra took a seat across from them, so she could watch Avaryss closely no doubt.

Go ahead and watch, Avaryss thought.

I won't give you the satisfaction of begging.

The troopers turned and left, leaving the Jedi alone with their prisoner. She saw a locked box had been loaded on board as well, when she reached out to it with the Force she sensed the presence of the crystal that held Terrog's soul within.

The sensation angered her.

Were the Jedi going to try to free Terrog's soul? It would be foolish to attempt such a feat. It was more likely that the crystal would end up in some Jedi archive or trophy room, left to collect dust.

That such a prize was to be locked away was a waste. The least the Jedi could do was return it to the Empire.

It would have been a fitting gift for the dark council.

Avaryss felt the shuttle rumble beneath her, she tried one last time to free herself, to break the restraints.

The Force barely whispered to her, she was unable to draw on enough of her emotions to find the power she needed. The Medical droid had given her an injection before she had left her cell; perhaps that was what was muddying her thoughts and keeping her calm.

Not that it really mattered, not now.

She was out of time.

She was on her way to the Jedi home base.

Who knew what awaited her when they arrived.

She felt the strange sensation one felt when they were on a ship that just entered hyperspace. Once they were away from the fleet, Fenn finally removed the bit from her mouth.

"Thank you," she mouthed.

In the seat across from them Shyra rolled her eyes.

Avaryss glared silently at her.

An awkward silence over took the three, Avaryss could feel the tension.

She decided to make things…interesting.

She sighed and laid her head on Fenn's shoulder.

Shyra took notice, her large brown eyes widened.

The beast girl growled in the back of her throat.

Fenn did nothing to show if he liked or disliked what she was doing,

The least he could do was put his arm around my shoulder, she thought.

Wouldn't _**that**_ annoy the mongrel?

Fenn leaned in, she could feel his breath on the top of her head; gooseflesh crawled up her arms, her heartbeat quickened with excitement.

"I won't let anyone hurt you," he promised again.

She frowned.

"Whatever happens to me, you should do nothing," she advised.

"You should **say** nothing."

"Why," he murmured, "If I can help you…."

"It would go badly for you. I would not see you ruin your life for me."

She glanced up at him, seeing her reflection in his eyes. She might have been wrong, but she did not look as pale as she had in the past, and if she was not mistaken, she saw flecks of blue showing in her normally burning red eyes.

What that meant, she could not say.

She gave him a pained look.

"Think about yourself Fenn," she said, "Do not risk your future trying to help me. I…I have accepted my fate. Whatever comes, I will meet it as a Sith. That is what I want…that is my choice."

Fenn's eyes narrowed, she could see that he was not happy with that, but what else could she do.

She understood the whole selfless Jedi thing, but in this she did not want it.

Just this once, she wanted him to think about himself.

Fenn sighed and rested his head on hers, between the warmth of his body, and the gentle hum of light speed…it was _**too**_ soothing.

Despite her worries, Avaryss found herself dosing off, sleep over took her before she had a chance to resist.

_Good dreams this time, please_, she thought, _preferably those with Fenn in them._

It would be nice.

She wanted that, whatever came next, she could face it better with that one sweet release.

Let the bitterness come, she thought.

For the moment, she was at peace.

IOI

"Fenn!"

Avaryss startled, the sound of Shyra's voice waking her from a sound sleep.

She shifted, feeling a strange sense of vertigo, silence had filled the ship.

"Fenn," Shyra hissed again, "Wake up!"

Her dream friend startled and sat up.

"Huh? What?!"

Hush," Shyra growled; she was out of her seat with her weapon drawn.

Fenn blinked, and shook his head. Avaryss glanced around, unsure of what was going on.

"Shyra," Fenn said, "What is going on?"

The beast girl growled.

"We've come out of hyperspace," she informed him, "We seem to be floating dead in space."

Fenn rose from his chair. He was now reaching out with the Force, trying to get his bearing, get a sense of what was going on."

Avaryss sat silently in her chair, watching and waiting.

She was not sure what was happening, but this might be the opportunity she had been waiting for.

She would not let it slip away.

The two Jedi were both fully awake now, both hyper alert.

Fenn looked at Shyra.

"Go check on the pilots. See what is wrong, and what we can do to help."

She nodded and bounded forward. The cockpit was at the top of a short ladder. The entry hatch was open, but all was silent up there.

Shyra had her blade out, but did not activate it, not yet.

"Pilot, what is going on?" she called out.

No answer.

"Pilot?"

Shyra lit her weapon; the emerald blade lit the shadowy darkness.

"Pilot? What is going…?"

There was a loud banging below their feet. Avaryss looked down; the only thing on the deck was the shuttle's emergency lower hatch.

It sounded like another ship had just attached to them; that a boarding socket had locked on.

Shyra looked away from the hatch and growled.

It was all the distraction that the pilot needed.

Three rapid stun blasts flashed through the open hatch. Shyra had been too close to dodge, too close to leap forward, or get out of the way.

Three stun rings encircled her. She did not even have a chance to try to block.

The beast girl fell with a surprised yelp!

"NO!" Fenn leapt to his feet as the hatch began to sparks, he drew his blade and dropped into a fighting stance.

The young Jedi stood ready, ready to meet whatever threat faced him first.

The hatch blew inward.

HK-Sigma 3 leapt into the shuttle!

The assassin droid brought up his rifle only to have it sliced in half. He tried to fire his flamethrower, only to have Fenn dance out of the way.

"Angry Threat: Meatbag!" the assassin droid growled, "I will have you yet. I will…"

Fenn lunged as the droid tried to bring another weapon to bear. His lightsaber caught the droid in the neck right where the armor plates met, and through the power of the Force, Fenn managed to slip his blade between them.

HK's head came off in a shower of sparks. It bounced across the deck as the body toppled over.

"Systems failing, master," the droid head croaked with each bounce.

Finally, its optics went you.

The droid was still.

It was at that moment that the Quarren pilot dropped down from the cockpit, he fired three quick stun blasts at Fenn. Despite the close quarters, Fenn only just managed to avoid them. He stretched out his hand and flung the squid-head back with a strong Force push. The alien struck the bulk head hard, and went down without a sound.

The alien shook his head, clearly stunned.

"Lieutenant," Fenn shouted.

"WHY?!"

Avaryss said nothing, she merely watched.

A smile came to her face.

A small grease stain appeared on the Quarren's cheek, his jaw tentacles began to shrink flowing into a single jaw while bright red hair began to sprout from the top of his pointed, yet slowly rounding head.

"Ow," Ensign Holli said, her real voice asserting itself.

"That hurt."

Fenn blinked.

"What?!"

He did not have time to respond.

The hiss of activating lightsabers sounded below. A smoke grenade came up and exploded in midair, turning the ship's cargo bay into a misty night.

Fenn tried to close the hatch, to stop anyone else from boarding, but was stopped by Xen who must have leaped in just after the bomb went off.

Her cross guard blade met Fenn's as she pushed him back. Their weapons sparked with each strike.

"Hello, old friend," she said in a low sultry voice.

"Are you ready to die?"

Fenn engaged his former friend in battle the light of their weapons turning the smoke a deep purple.

Necris leapt up next, her red blade flaring against the cloud.

"Master?" the Devish called out.

"Are you being here?!"

"**Here!"** Avaryss shouted.

"**I'm here!"**

"Keera! NO!"

She heard Fenn, but did not acknowledge him.

She knew what she had to do.

she had to get out of here!

"**Necris! I'm over here," **she called out.

"**Free me from this chair!**

"**Get me out of this!"**

**"HELP ME, APPRENTICE!"**

**"HELP ME!"**


	73. War and Love

**Chapter 73: War and Love**

Necris stood over her; she had heard her master's call through the smoke.

The Devish looked down upon Avaryss, her bound and helpless master, her lightsaber lit and engaged.

Avaryss could almost hear her apprentice's thoughts, her emotions churned.

For the first time since she had met the girl who had been Quenya Sai Malloc, Avaryss felt…real fear.

Beware your apprentice.

It would be so easy for the young Devish; here she was, standing before her master, her bound and helpless master.

Was this the moment? Had Avaryss miscalculated?

Was this the moment when Necris would give into her hatred? Was this the moment she would avenge herself on her master?

Impossible, the dark side whispered, she has only just begun to walk the dark path, if she was to kill you now she would be left rudderless, to walk the path in the confusion of a novice, a talented novice perhaps, but still just a novice.

Then again, Avaryss thought, what of Feer did not go back to Korriban to search for a new apprentice? What if he sensed the change within Necris when they met?

What if he thought his student's student would serve just as well as her.

Necris' eyes had a mischievous glint to them.

Had Feer got to her, had he made the girl an offer?

If he had…?

"Necris?"

Beric's voice cut through the haze, through the dark side that had been swirling between the two Sith.

Necris blinked.

Beric came between them, fully armed and armored, he glared at the Devish.

"What are you just standing around for," he demanded, "Help me get her out of this chair."

Avaryss' apprentice smirked.

"You are being right, lieutenant," she purred, "We should be doing that, yes."

Necris gestured.

The restraints popped from Avaryss' neck, hand, and feet.

She was loose.

She was free.

She…

"AHHHH!"

Beric looked up in horror.

"XEN! NO!"

The Sith apprentice was flung at their feet, left groaning, her lightsaber clattered across the deck.

The cloud of smoke parted and began to dissipate. Fenn stood before them; he held his lightsaber at the ready, golden lightning crackled in his off hand.

He looked like some warrior god, Avaryss thought, her mouth went dry at the sight of him, her whole body warmed with attraction.

My lord, she thought, my love.

Oh my?!

"Lower your weapons," he shouted.

Beric started to raise his rifle.

Fenn reached out with the Force and yanked it from his grip; he sliced the weapon in two with his lightsaber.

The soldier started to go for his sidearm.

"Don't," Fenn warned.

"Next time…I won't just chop your blaster!"

Beric glared but kept his hand away from his other weapon.

Avaryss stood between her brother and her apprentice. Necris had not yet lowered her lightsaber. The air was thick with blood and tension.

Beric knelt down to check on Xen, she was murmuring about Sy Dar Bynn, whimpering about him deserving what he had got.

Avaryss shook her head.

Force judgment, she thought.

It truly was a terrible ability.

They were lucky the Jedi had all but abandoned it.

Avaryss weighed their options.

Xen was down. HK was scrap. Holli was still lying on the deck looking dazed, and she, Avaryss herself, was in no shape to fight.

She shook her head.

She could still escape, but there would be a cost.

They would need to kill Fenn.

She did not want that.

In the back of her mind she heard her mother's lullaby. She could almost see Mya Lylos' face.

"You can't kill him, Keera!"

"You love him!"

Avaryss shuddered.

_You love him?_

She pursed her lips.

Yes, she _**did **_love him, she had loved him for years, but to free herself, to rejoin the Sith.

She was willing to sacrifice that love.

She was willing to let that love go.

Fenn looked at her, she could feel his fear, but at the same time, he was committed to this, to stopping her from getting away.

"Keera," he called out, "I swore that no one would hurt you."

He gave her a pained look.

"You don't have to do this."

"Keera," Necris said, "Who is being this Keera?"

Avaryss sighed.

"She is someone who no longer exists, apprentice," Avaryss said, "Just as Quenya Sai Malloc no longer exists."

"Ah," the Devish said, "I am seeing it now."

_Good_, Avaryss thought glaring at the Jedi.

_I'm so pleased to have enlightened you apprentice._

She tried one last chance to save his life. She did not desire his end. Fenn Shadowstone was the one Jedi she did not want to see destroyed.

"Fenn," she said holding out her hand.

"Come with us."

The young Jedi's eyes narrowed.

"You know that I can't."

She closed her eyes; a shudder ran down her spine.

Yes, she thought.

I know.

"You are being outnumbered, Jedi," Necris hissed, "It is you who should be lowering his weapon."

The Devish grinned.

"You can't win."

Fenn sighed; the Force shifted slightly, him coming to a decision perhaps.

"Maybe," he agreed, "But I can make sure that _**you**_ don't win, either."

He took several steps back; he moved his blade from them to the bulk head. He pointed his lightsaber at it.

"NO!" Beric shouted, his voice thick with fear

Necris's eyes narrowed.

"What do you think you are doing, Jedi?"

"The fuel cell," Beric gasped, "If…if he puts his lightsaber through it?

Fenn grinned. He said one word.

"Boom."

Avaryss' eyes narrowed.

"You would kill us all? You would destroy us all just to prevent my escape?"

He gave her a sad smile.

"There is no death, there is the Force," he said, "I'm willing to take that next step, how about you?"

Avaryss hissed.

She…she had not anticipated this.

He is bluffing, the darkness whispered, he must be.

Avaryss reached out with the Force, she felt Fenn's sadness, his grim acceptance.

No, she realized, he **wasn't **bluffing.

No, she thought.

_**NO!**_

_**DAMN YOU FENN!**_

_**DAMN YOU!**_

Necris gave him a hungry smile.

"You are thinking that I'm afraid of death," she laughed, "I was being a slave of dead men my entire life."

She gave him a wide toothy grin.

"I am not being afraid, Jedi! Let us be going into death together. Let us be passing to the other side with my teeth at your throat."

Avaryss' eyes widened.

_Necris you crazy shutta!_

_What are you?_

"Let's not and say we did, eh, Nek?"

Avaryss glanced over her shoulder. Rink had found his way up into the hold, he now stood beside Beric.

He had a dazed Shyra Viel in front of him, a vibroblade at her throat.

The former street rat looked over at Avaryss. He grinned triumphantly.

"Oh come on, boss," he said, "Don't tell me you don't understand the concept of taking a hostage."

He turned back to Fenn.

"Are you that willing to kill your friend too, Jedi?" he asked, "Is stopping us really worth that? Do you really want this one's blood on your hands?"

Fenn frowned.

Avaryss could see him weighing his options. His chance of saving Shyra was…slim. He could still blow them all up, but was that what he really wanted?

It would have been easier of Shyra had already been dead, but now…it was not easy.

She looked at Fenn; she could see the conflict in his eyes.

Had it just been him, he would have been more than willing to roll the dice and take them all with him.

_You are brave, my love._

_But are you a cold blooded killer?_

_No,_ she knew.

_Not yet._

She tried to reach out with the Force, the adrenalin of this rescue attempt had helped her burn the chemicals out of her blood.

The Force was starting to open up to her again.

She started to see what might happen. She tried to use it to guide her hand. She needed to know what choice was the one that granted the best chance at success.

They were all still very close to death. Fenn was not bluffing. If he saw no way out of this, he would take them all with him. He was too brave for his own good.

If he did lower his weapon, if they did take him prisoner, if she brought him and Shyra back to Dromund Kaas as prisoners, she would be greatly rewarded, but that would not end well.

So many possible deaths resulted from that choice, Fenn killed her and escaped. Fenn killed her and took her place at Feer's side. Fenn helped her overthrow Feer, only to kill her and rule with Shyra at his side. Shyra and Fenn became lovers, and she was forced to kill them both. Shyra killed her and joined Darth Feer.

She cursed under her breath.

Damn it, she thought.

There was no way to win!

In all of those scenarios she either died or lost, but that was not the worst of it. Defeat happened, and all things die in time, only one Sith had learned the art of immortality.

No one outcome was always certain, it whatever future she looked into, no matter what choice she made.

I'll lose Fenn, she thought.

No matter how I win here, the result is the same.

I lose Fenn, and I _**always **_will.

Her mother's song was still in her head, the lullaby and the command to go home.

She was not sure what to make of that, but…

She frowned.

Fenn Shadowstone is my destiny, she thought, she knew that now. Fehl had only been a distraction, or rather an instructor, to show her the wonders of love, and what a life it could bring.

It was Fenn that would help her continue her line. He would be her love. He would share her council and her bed. He would father her babies. She knew that now. She could almost see it.

But to preserve **that** future, she would have to let him go…for now.

_Now is not yet the time_, she realized.

_Fenn did not join her here._

_It was here that their paths would part…again._

She almost wanted to scream. Frustration burned in her gut.

_**Why?! Why must we part again?!**_

_**It isn't fair!**_

The darkness washed over her, its energy was a cool and soothing balm.

_Be patient_, the dark side whispered.

_He will be yours..._

…_One day._

She sighed.

She knew what she had to do.

Damn it.

She sighed and there, surround by her crew, her house…she made an offer.

"Her life for ours, Fenn," she called out, "Let me and my crew go, and we will not kill Shyra."

"What," Necris hissed.

"What," Fenn said, his blade never leaving the spot behind the fuel cell.

Avaryss gave him a sad smile.

"Our story does not end here," she said, "You saved my life back on Terrog's station; I offer to spare you and Shyra now. You will not be taken prisoner. We go our separate ways. You have my word on the Emperor's name that I will not try to harm you or this vessel."

"The…the other pilot is still alive," Holli said rising from where she had fallen, the changeling shook her head.

"I didn't kill him. He is only stunned."

Avaryss smiled.

Good move, Holli, she thought.

She just upped the ante; Fenn had another life to consider.

He is a Jedi.

He will not let two lives end to stop this. He will not kill his own.

He was not that ruthless.

"No one else has to die today, Fenn," Avaryss said.

"I can just take my belongings, and my crew, and we can leave."

"We can settle this matter…another day."

Fenn's eyes narrowed.

"Why should I trust you?"

She smiled.

"Have I ever lied to you?"

Fenn frowned. She could feel his emotions, he did not want to hurt her, but he knew what it meant to let her go.

She was Sith; she would continue to serve the Empire. She would continue to serve the Emperor.

When the next war came, she would fight.

He was weighing the lives she might take against his life, Shyra's, and that of the pilot. If he decided that they were worth taking Avaryss off the board.

Would he do it?

Did he dare?

Fenn kept looking between her and Shyra, she could feel the concern he felt for his friend. He cared about her, but it was not the carrying of a man for a woman, it was the love of a sibling. Shyra would be angry to know that, perhaps, but that was how Fenn and how he would continue to feel unless something extreme happened.

Avaryss was unwilling to go that far.

Fenn would not have to make that choice; he would be hers…eventually.

Shyra growled weakly, she was still out of it from Holli's stun blast, but that would not be forever.

"The choice is yours, Fenn," she said, "Do we all die here, or do we part…cold warriors."

Fenn Shadowstone's eyes narrowed.

"Swear that you will simply leave. Promise that you will not kill anyone else this day."

"I swear it," Avaryss promised.

"Swear on the name of your Emperor."

"I swear it."

"Swear it on the name of the family that lost."

Avaryss winced.

"I…I swear it."

"Make these others swear too."

Avaryss blinked.

"What?"

"Say it, Keera; neither you, nor any of these will try anything if I let you go. Say it!"

Avaryss smiled.

_Clever boy_, she thought.

Fenn had a suspicious mind that would serve him well when they were dealing with enemies of their house, enemies of their family.

"Swear it," Avaryss ordered, "All of you; you will not try to harm this ship or these people this day."

One by one, her crew agreed murmuring acceptance. Necris had been the slowest, but a cold look from her master made her agree.

No harm would come to the Jedi and his companions.

They all swore it.

Fenn still kept his blade directed at the fuel cell, but he did allow Avaryss; crew to start to depart. Beric helped Xen down the hatch and back aboard their interceptor. Holli was a bit wobbly, perhaps even concussed, but she was able to make it back down the hatch under her own power. Necris used the Force to retrieve the deactivated HK Sigma 3. Holli would need to repair him, but considering the state she had brought him back from before, it should not be difficult.

Rink sliced the storage locker on board, the one containing Avaryss' personal effects, her alchemical bracer, her lightsaber, and the crystal containing Darth Terrog's tortured soul.

She grinned at the crystal.

The texts she had read said that a soul so bound suffered horribly. If she knew Marr and the rest of the dark council, they would find a way to make that suffering even worse.

She was curious to see exactly what that meant.

It would be fun to watch.

Avaryss looked down at Shyra Viel; the beast girl was still out of it, Beric had secured her with binders just in case.

She sneered down at her rival.

I will not kill you in such a state, she thought, when the day comes that we face each other, it will be as equals with a lightsaber in hand.

On that day, I will be either stronger than you, or I will be dead, but that will be okay.

That is the way of the dark side.

That is the way she preferred it to be.

She glanced up at Fenn, who finally turned off his lightsaber.

He sighed and shook his head.

"You don't have to do this," he said.

She smiled.

"This is who I am," she said, "would you want me to be any other way?"

He snorted and smiled at her, a bit pink colored his cheeks.

"You drive me crazy, you know that?"

"I have that effect on some people."

He bowed slightly to her.

"May the Force serve you well, Keera."

"May it be with you, Fenn," she replied, "Always."

She turned to go, to return to her life within the Empire, to return to her hunt for power and prestige.

She stopped.

She could not leave, not yet.

There was one thing she had to do first.

"Damn it," she thought.

No choice.

She spun around quickly, before Fenn could stop her, before he could back away, she was in his arms.

She kissed him deeply.

He resisted at first, but only at first.

She felt his arms slide around her; felt them moving up and down her body.

She moaned into his mouth, a sound of pure lust.

Damn it, she thought.

I want him.

I want him so bad!

She pulled away, panting. She could see his lust mirrored in his eyes.

He doesn't want to let me go, she realized, his heart and Jedi training were definitely at war.

Wonderful.

She smiled slyly.

"Something for you to remember me by," she said breathlessly, "Until our…next meeting."

"Un…until then," he agreed his voice was husky, "Farewell, Keera."

She nodded.

"Good bye Fenn."

She leapt through the hatch; the emergency field sprang to life as her interceptor detached from the Republic shuttle.

Avaryss made for the bridge, she found Rink and Necris there, the two manipulating the controls bringing the ship around, preparing to make the jump to hyperspace.

The Republic shuttle floated helplessly before them.

"So boss," Rink said over his shoulder, "Do we make the jump, or do we get to blow that ship up first?"

Avaryss frowned.

"I gave my word, Rink," she reminded him.

"Yeah, I know, but…"

"No buts; not this time."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure, Mister Rink," she said patting him on the shoulder, "now…get us out of here."

The pilot shrugged.

"You are the boss, boss."

He brought them about, and after a brief check of the navi-computer. He pulled the handle in front of him.

The stars stretched as the Fury class interceptor jumped into hyperspace.

Avaryss nodded.

She had kept her word.

Fenn was safe.

Her heart did hurt though, their parting…their first real kiss, it had left a mark. That mark would haunt her, she feared.

She took a deep breath, and centered herself.

Fear turned into anger so easily.

This was not the end for her and Fenn.

They would meet again, and when they did…

She smiled.

Who knew what might happen?

We will be together, one day.

She had foreseen it, it would come to pass.

They could not escape it, and she did not wish to.

Fenn would be hers.

It was the will of the Force.

IOI

After a sonic shower Avaryss felt like a new woman. 2V-R9 waited for her outside the fresher, her clothes in his hands. She was still having trouble getting dressed with only one arm. The droid nervously helped her, in constant fear that she would dissemble him for the most minor poke or pinch.

Avaryss rolled her eyes.

She would speak to Holli about having the droids mind wiped, perhaps some new programs to its personality matrix.

She preferred to have servants with a bit more spine.

Perhaps the engineer would be able to help.

Now clad in a red leather vest and black leggings she felt more like herself, the addition of her lightsaber on her belt again also helped.

She frowned as she looked at her left sleeve, the one that was pinned up to hide her missing elbow and forearm.

When Beric had first come to her rescue he had not noticed the injury, with everything that had been going on he had simply thought that had had both her arms secured behind her back.

Seeing the missing arm, he had been angry.

"The Jedi?" he had asked.

"Terrog, she said, shaking her head, no.

Her big brother's eyes narrowed.

I hope he died screaming," he said.

Avaryss laughed.

"Oh he is still screaming brother," she said tapping the crystal.

"Trust me, his suffering has just begun."

Beric Lylos accepted that…for now.

He returned his attention to the wounded Xen. Her injuries were minor, but given the effect of light side Force lightning.

She was a bit surprised by his worry. Xen was useful, but…

She frowned.

Surely her brother was not…attracted to Xen. She was far from stable, still too lost in the dark side.

She would likely kill him as soon as kiss him, her emotions were all over the place, she was practically broken.

Avaryss would warn him.

Xen Loor was not the most…eligible of women. It did not matter how beautiful he thought her.

She was unstable, perhaps unsuitable.

She would see that her brother made the right choice.

She found Holli back in her work space, repairing, HK, replacing the connectors that Fenn had cut through with his lightsaber.

She looked down on the engineer.

"How are you feeling, ensign?" she asked.

Holli rose from where she had been kneeling, a good natured smile on her face.

"I heal fast, my lord, Two Vee has given me a clean bill of health.

Avaryss nodded.

If only she could heal that fast.

"I assume it was you that called the others, told them where we were?"

The changeling nodded.

"It wasn't easy; security is pretty tight on a Republic vessel, transmissions closely monitored. I needed to piggyback the signal on a Republic channel, not an easy feat to be sure."

"And yet, you succeeded," Avaryss said smiling, "You have my thanks and gratitude."

The engineer blushed.

"Thank you, my lord, you honor me."

"I'm just getting started," Avaryss thought.

"Though I must ask Holli, how did you end up on that Republic ship? What happened?"

The engineer sighed.

"Xen and I get separated after we left the control and communication room on Terrog's station. A Republic ship went down, somehow avoided being destroyed by the stations defenses, and crashed into it. A blast door separated me and Xen. I went off to try to find a way around, but I encountered some Republic troopers and officers, they had survived the crash and were looking for a way out."

How did you end up disguised as a Quarren?"

"I got lucky," Holli said with a smile.

"I found Lieutenant Slusk, the Quarren, dead; He had been killed in the crash. Considering the number of pub troopers around, I thought it wise that I not be seen wearing a Sith uniform. I transformed into Slusk, and rejoined his fellows. I acted like I was concussed or in shock, not hard considering what was going on around us. I stayed close to the pubs as we fought our way back to hangars. I thought to disappear in the confusion and make my way back to Rink and the others, but by the time we did, the battle was all but won, and the station starting to break up.

I decided to take my chances with the Republic. I was going to go back with them. Find a new shape and disappear when I saw an opportunity to make myself scare."

Her smile widened.

"It was then that I learned that you were onboard, that you had been captured. I tried to contact you, but there were too many pubs and Jedi around. The only thing I could do was try and contact the others. Fortunately for me, Slusk was a trained shuttle pilot, after that, it was just a matter of volunteering for the mission of flying you back to the Jedi, and hope that the others had gotten my message. Fortunately for the two of us, they did.

"We escaped."

Avaryss nodded. She had to give it to Holli the girl was not only smart but resourceful as well.

She would have been a boon to Imperial Intelligence, but their loss was her gain.

"You have done well, Holli, very well," Avaryss said placing a friendly hand on the changeling's shoulder.

"I'm going to see that you get promoted to Lieutenant Commander, and I would like you to consider remaining in my service, serving with House Avaryss."

Holli's eyes lit up.

"I…I…thank you, my lord," she said saluting, "I…I will gladly stay, but…Lieutenant Commander is quite the promotion, that is a three level jump."

"You've earned Holli, or may I call you Lujayne?"

The engineer was practically beaming.

"Whatever you like, my lord," she said

Avaryss nodded.

"This is just the beginning, Lujayne. Our victory here will cement House Avaryss' place among the other great Sith clans.

When war comes again, we shall be ready for it."

More than ready, my lord," the changeling promised.

She looked over at HK.

"I will get him up and running again. I'm guessing he is going to be very busy in the next few months."

Avaryss chuckled.

"I suppose he will be," she agreed, "See to it immediately, Lieutenant Commander."

"It will be done, my lord, it will be my pleasure."

Avaryss nodded left her ally to her work. She could not say if Holli was a friend, but she was definitely getting close to that designation.

I reward good service, Avaryss thought, that was the way to keep my underlings both loyal and hungry.

Now would come the hard part, she thought.

Now she had to face her fellow Sith.

They had sent word to both Dromund Kaas and Korriban of her escape. Both Darth Feer and Lord Marr had responded. She was to proceed to an intelligence center on one of Korriban's moons. She needed to be debriefed, what had happened while she had been in Republic custody.

She had been their guest for almost a week, the Empire could not be too careful.

She was not worried about the debrief. She had not broken, or given the Republic anything to use against the Empire.

Once her loyalty was assured she would be able to return to her duties, what those duties would be…she could not say.

I've given much for our people, she thought, looking down at her ruined arm.

Surely Darth Marr will be able to appreciate that.

She thought of Darth Feer, what would he say about her return, would he be grateful, or something else.

She smiled.

If it was…something else, she would need to be ready.

Fortunately, she already had an idea.

Ones options were almost limitless with the right amount of credits.

When she stood before Feer and the Dark Council, it would not be as a crippled apprentice.

She would stand before them as a peer, as Sith Lord.

..And she knew exactly how to do it.


	74. The Things We do for the Empire

**Chapter 74: The Things We Do for the Empire**

With the death of Darth Terrog and the end of the Jedi Conspiracy, Darth Feer's victory was complete.

A month had passed since Avaryss' escape from Republic custody, in that time; the Empire had declared both her and her master as Heroes of the Empire. For his sacrifice and service, it was decided that Darth Feer should be elevated to the Dark Council, so that his courage and wisdom could continue to guide the Empire into a bright yet…uncertain future.

As for his apprentice, Avaryss was also to be honored, at a celebration at the Sith Academy on Korriban. It was here that she would be formally inducted in the order of the Sith Lords, her name added to the great codex of those who bore the name Dark Lord of the Sith.

In the month that it took to prepare for the ceremony, Avaryss spent her first two weeks in the custody in the custody of Imperial Intelligence. The Dark Council thought it prudent that she be examined, to make sure that her miraculous escape from the Republic was not part of some plan on their part, perhaps an attempt to get a Republic agent into the ranks of the Sith Lords.

Avaryss was not insulted by their concerns. As a loyal daughter of the Empire she thought it her duty to assure the council that she was fine, and that she had not surrendered any of their secrets to the Republic.

She remained committed to the Empire's goals. It was for that reason that she accepted their questions.

After all…she had nothing to hide.

Her debriefing was conducted by the legendary Sith Intelligence agent known as Watcher One. At first the young Sith had been concerned about this meeting, she had expected to be strapped to an interrogation table being fed equal doses of truth serum and electric shocks.

To her surprise, Watcher One did not think that was necessary. Her previous service to the Empire played a part in his decision not to go that route; instead they conducted their conversation over meals, the two of them talking over caf and pastries.

Some might have been concerned about this, but Avaryss was not.

_He was a subtle one, this Intelligence agent,_ she thought with a smile.

_He does not need to threaten bodily harm to get what he needs._

Every day he would ask her the same questions, they would have the same conversation. Some lords might have been insulted by the tedium, but not Avaryss.

He is looking for discrepancies, signs that I'm either lying to him, or seeking evidence that I broke and have since been programmed.

She remembered how Fehl had acted, how he would repeat the same statements over and over in the same emotional inflection, she did not do that. She would give the same answers but deliver them in different ways each time. Watcher One did not comment on that, but he was no fool, he likely suspected what she was doing, and was not bothered by it.

It was a subtle game they played, and dance of both the mind and words. She never lied to him, but that did not mean that she did not protect her secrets.

When it came to her escape, she made no mention of Holli being a shapeshifter. All she would say is that she had been aided by a Republic Lieutenant, a Quarren by the name of Slusk. She spun the tale of Slusk being in her employ, that he had accepted a bribe to help free her from Republic custody.

"And what became of this lieutenant?" Watcher One would ask.

"I killed him, of course," Avaryss said with a smile, "It is not like I ever intended to pay him for his services. Never trust a traitor, ser, not even one you create."

If Watcher One thought anything suspicious about her story, he did not show it. He clearly did not detect the lie.

It wasn't really a lie after all, not really, Slusk had been in her employ after all, Holli was hers and she had been wearing that form at the time. It was also not a lie that Slusk was dead. He had died when she had disabled the defenses of Terrog station. So, from a certain point of view, she had indeed killed him."

Whether he believed her story completely or not, she could not say. All she knew was that by the end of the second week, Darth Feer had arrived at the intelligence base to collect her.

Watcher One had given her a clean bill of health. The Republic had not broken her, or done anything to her mind.

She was cleared to return to her duties.

Her master had been most pleased by that news. He had hoped to have her at his side when he ascended to his seat on the Dark Council.

Avaryss was equally excited by the news, but not for the reason that her master might think.

She could not help but notice that her master's guards had not accompanied him to Korriban, not the elite guard that he had used during the Terrog crisis anyway, The four Sith troopers that he travelled with, would not be a problem.

Her two weeks in custody, hearing about what was going on beyond these walls had made her come to a decision.

The time had come.

The day that Darth Feer would die had come.

She could not handle the matter herself, not in her current state. The loss of her arm left her at a distinct disadvantage, at the same time; she could not pass up the opportunity that had finally presented itself.

She would wait no longer.

Darth Feer would not leave the planet Korriban alive.

IOI

Master and Apprentice left for the academy, that very night, they would remain on the Sith homeworld until the ceremony was done. In the meantime Avaryss was very busy. The luxury suite she had been given had its own private hyper-comm, after Holli had made sure that no one could listen in her calls, she had gotten to work. She contacted her pet Alchemist Aarb, the TCS droid 1A-K3, and a man named Calmek Leth, said to be the best cyberneticist in the Empire.

It was these three that she entrusted with a most important duty, their task…to build for her a new arm, an arm that would not be limited by its mechanical nature.

She wanted more than a simple prosthetic; she wanted to have full use of her abilities. She wanted a cybernetic arm that could not only allow her to use her full skill with a lightsaber, but also have the ability to project Force lightning when she needed it.

It was not an easy challenge, but then again, if it was easy, she would not be willing to pay such a high price for it.

Her TCS accounts gave her more than enough resources to see this matter tended to. It only made sense to turn to the greatest minds in their field.

She would not be satisfied with second best.

They would give her what she wanted, and they would be paid handsomely for it.

As for the men and the droid, they did not refuse her request. The three had been intrigued by the challenge, and with the knowledge that money was no object, she set them to work.

"You have two weeks to have a prototype built," she informed them, "I must have two arms on the day the ceremony."

All three seemed confident that they could meet that deadline. Calmek Leth assured her that he would have the prototype delivered when she needed it.

"See that you do," she said, "Contact me when it is on its way."

She broke off the transmission and immediately set about making a new one.

_So much to do_, she thought.

_Far too much to do._

Next, she sent word to Taya. It had been Taya that had delivered the vaccine to Terrog's virus to Lord Marr; as a result both she and her master were reaping the rewards of heroes. Goss, of course, insisted that he had sent Taya along with Avaryss, to ensure that her mission was a success. Taya said nothing to correct that, she was basking in the love and respect of her mother, Lady Tazia was most pleased that her eldest had taken the initiative and won a great victory. Taya was almost in tears when she heard Avaryss' voice, no one had sent word to her of Avaryss's survival, her old friend was more than happy to put her at east, and to use her relief to her advantage. Taya's emotions made it easy for Avaryss to convince her to contact certain…people.

"It will take time," Taya warned, "I'm guessing whatever you have planned isn't going to be carried out immediately?"

"We have time," Avaryss promised her, "Though perhaps it is best you not know the details, just in case."

The blonde girl nodded.

"I understand; I will do as you ask."

"Thank you, Tay."

"Any time," the blonde said blushing slightly, "Good luck, my love, we will speak again soon."

_She wants to see you. She misses you._

The voice had come unbidden. It was not the voice of the darkness; it was…something else, something…familiar.

She ignored it.

"Until then," Avaryss said with a hint of a smile, "farewell."

Taya blew her a kiss and smiled.

Avaryss broke the connection and leaned back in her chair with a contented sigh.

_Well,_ she thought, _the die had been cast. _

_You shouldn't play with her emotions, _the voice chided, _she loves you, and yet you manipulate her._

Avaryss rolled her eyes.

"Silence," she muttered, "I don't need to hear this now."

The voice fell silent again.

She was grateful for that.

The people that she had Taya contacting were members of House Rist of Alderaan. Though they did not typically take jobs off their homeworld they would do so if the price was right.

And considering the amount of credits that Avaryss had offered, the price was definitely right.

According to her contact Ellana Thul, the men and women that she had just engaged were familiar with dealing with Force users. Originally, Avaryss had hoped to use them as a distraction, to draw away Feer's guards when she made her final challenge. Her injury and the fact that Feer was on Korriban all but alone had caused her to reevaluate that decision.

Feer's victory had made a lot of Sith in the Empire envious, envious enough that they were willing to aid her in her dealing with her master. Darth Feer would not live long enough to sit on the Dark Council, her agents and her allies would make sure that that that did not happen.

The thought made her smile.

Part of her wished that she was well enough to handle the matter herself, to have had the honor of killing her master with her own hands.

Dead is dead, the darkness whispered, honor is a fool's prize, do not waste your time thinking about it.

She nodded thoughtfully, that it was.

_They will __**not**__ succeed, you __**know**__ that._

Avaryss did not even respond.

"Silence," she muttered again.

"Silence."

IOI

The next few days passed in a blur. Darth Feer met with her almost daily, wanting to make sure that they would both be ready for the glorious day to come.

He insisted that they practice their meeting with the council, what they would say and do when the rewards were given.

Avaryss restrained herself from rolling her eyes as Lord Feer pretended to accept his place as a member of the dark council.

_Say nothing_, the darkness warned her, _reveal nothing, let him enjoy this; after all, he will not be alive to enjoy the real ceremony._

_Let him have his fun now._

It was for that reason that she humored him, that she said nothing to distract him from what he thought of as his upcoming triumph.

She smiled and played the role of the charmed apprentice, the loyal daughter.

Feer, too drunk on his success, did not notice that she was acting.

"This is what we have been striving for, my child," he said practically giggling, "This will truly be a day of days."

Yes master," she agreed with a cruel smile.

"It most certainly will be."

The days continued to roll by. Avaryss got word from her friends in House Rist.

They were here, they had arrived on Korriban.

The young Sith smiled.

It would not be long now.

_They will fail,_ the strange voice said, _and you will suffer for it._

Avaryss ignored it.

Everything would be fine.

IOI

The day of the ceremony arrived, and with it, a sense of anticipation that Avaryss had not experienced in a long time. It was something akin to childlike glee.

_It is almost time_, she thought, _it is __**almost**__ time!_

She had barely been able to sleep the night before, she felt like was a small child again, excitedly awaiting the arrival of a feast day morn.

The coming dawn brought more than simply the rising of the sun; her new arm had arrived by courier during the night.

She headed down to medical, eager to be fitted with it. She wanted to see just how well her orders had been carried out.

The arm itself was beautiful, the finest mechanics covered by delicate but extremely strong armored plates. She could already see the alchemist's contribution to the work, Sith glyphs were etched into the plates. Crystals sparkled in the tips of the fingers, giving it the appearance of having finger nails.

She practically leapt onto the medical table, and ordered the arm installed. The droids obeyed without question, though they did question her desire to be fitted for her new limb without any painkillers.

I don't need them, Avaryss insisted, this arm would finally restore her to true power.

There was no pain where the power lies.

The cybernetic joins the Republic had installed worked perfectly, the new arm interfaced perfectly with them. There was some discomfort as the droid's worked, but Avaryss ignored it

The last few weeks had been an exercise in annoyance; the doctors had warned her phantom pains, saying that she just needed to work through them, ignore them.

My left palm has been itching for the last three days, she thought, even if she would not feel it, she needed to scratch it, hopefully that would be enough to finally stop the damn sensation, even if she could not feel it.

Once the work was done, the droids stepped back, they asked her to wiggle her fingers and move her wrist.

The feeling was…strange. Her new hand moved, but there was a sense of…disjointedness about it. The nerves were responding, but she could feel nothing below her elbow.

She raised her new arm and looked at it; she stretched out her hand, and then quickly used it to make a fist.

She, of course, could feel nothing, not the satisfaction of stretching, not the feel of her nails digging into her palm.

But why would I, she thought, this hand is not flesh it is durasteel and wire.

Of course I'm not going to feel anything.

The droids nattered on about the exercises she would need to do to regain her full range of movement. She discovered that she was not able to touch the tips of her new fingers with her new thumb. They were too clumsy to do it. The droids assured her that, in time, her nerves and the cybernetic leads would come into full synchronization and her new arm would function as well as her old one.

_So…it is a weakness_, she thought, _but one that could be overcome through training._

Fine, she thought with a nod.

I shall overcome.

As soon as she was allowed to leave, she made for the training area; she wanted to see just how much she would need to work to recover her full skill with a lightsaber. She contacted both Aarb and Calmek Leth. She wanted to see if they had anything to offer as she got used to her new prosthetic.

Their holograms shimmered into existence as she activated her lightsaber. She started with the basic Shii-Cho drills she had first learned as a hopeful. Though she was right handed, she still needed her left hand to perform certain maneuvers in both the Shien and Makashi disciplines.

As she worked through her sequences she could not help but feel…clumsy. She almost dropped her weapon twice while attempting defensive spins. It also felt like her grip was off; she could not tell if she was holding her saber too lightly or too tightly.

Frustration boiled over, her rage continued to build at her weakness.

She had lost more than just a hand to Terrog. She would need to relearn much if she was to be the fighter she had been again.

"It will take time, my lord," Calmek Leth informed her; clearly he could see that she was struggling.

Calmek Leth was a tall cadaverous looking man. Pale skinned with watery blue eyes, the man had been the first name in cybernetics in the Empire for years. His work was always in great demand and was lauded.

So far, Avaryss was not impressed.

She deactivated her lightsaber and raised her left hand, there was a targeting dummy standing against the back wall.

She snarled and reached out with her mechanical fingers. The crystals build into the fingertips of her new hand flared to life, vibrating with dark side energy.

Force lightning exploded from the crystals, her rage and frustration given form. The brightness of the display almost blinded her, as the target was flung back by the sheer strength of her blast, its chest blackened where the lightning had found its mark.

Despite her frustration with herself, about her lack of skill with a lightsaber, the display pleased her.

At least somethings still work, she thought.

She ceased her attack and inspected her new hand. The Finger tips were now glowing white hot, they showed signs of melting.

Despite the damage she had done to herself she was pleased with the result.

She turned to the holograms with a contented smile.

"You have my thanks, gentles," she said nodding respectfully, "Your work does not disappoint."

She approached the hologram of Dr. Leth, holding up her hand for him to see, the holo field should have been enough for him to get a good look at what had happened.

He regarded her hand thoughtfully, scratching the back of his balding head.

"I do think that there is room for improvement however," she suggested, looking down at the damage done to her fingertips.

If Leth was insulted, he did not show it.

He nodded thoughtfully.

"A heat resistant coating, perhaps," he murmured to himself, "perhaps one of the new polymers, or a ceramic casts.

He looked up at his employer.

"Do keep in mind that what you are wearing is only a prototype, Lord Avaryss. The finished model will be far more…fine-tuned. I shall make the necessary modification to improve your dexterity and your response time. My work will yield the results you require."

"I'm sure it will, doctor," she said with an icy smile, not needing to add the obligatory: "for your sake."

Leth was used to having Sith Lords for clients.

He knew how dangerous their displeasure could be.

"I've already begun preparing both the armor plates and the crystals for your new hand, my lord," Aarb the alchemist promised her. They will be infused with dark side energy, and be able to handle far more than this first attempt."

The alchemist smiled.

"Trust me, my lord. You will be most pleased."

Avaryss nodded thoughtfully.

The man was certainly a treasure, she was grateful now that she had not killed him when her master had ordered his end. The helmet and bracer he had made for her were excellent, but this…this.

She smiled.

This…would be the man's _masterpiece._

"Return to your work, gentlemen, produce a functional final product by the end of the week and I will see that there is nice bonus in it for both of you, such is my generosity.

Both scientists smiled.

"It will be done, my lord," Calmek Leth promised.

"You will not be disappointment, my lord, trust me."

The two scientists disappeared, leaving Avaryss alone with her thoughts.

She looked down at her new hand.

Her left palm still itched terribly, but she tried to ignore it.

She had no more time for games.

The ceremony was tonight.

She needed to get ready.

_Not that it would happen of course_, she thought as she made her way back to her quarters. Darth Feer would be dead in less than two hours. All she needed to do now was give the word.

His day of triumph would turn into a funeral, _**his**_ funeral.

She was most eager to see it come to pass.

As she had told Fenn once…she really did look good in black.

She said nothing to anyone as she made her way back to her quarters; she was to meet with Lady Synestra's servants in twenty minutes. They were to do her hair and prepare her make up. She was to look her best when her master ascended to the dark council, and for her to be named a full lord of course.

The former would never happen, and the latter well…she should have already been a lord, it had been promised to her for dealing with the conspiracy.

She needed no ceremony to tell her that she was one.

She knew she was one, in her soul.

No one could take that away from her.

No guards challenged her as she passed, by now they all knew her face, and her reputation.

She entered her quarters ready to send out the kill order to her friends from House Rist.

She froze as soon as the door closed behind her.

Darth Marr stood before her, clad in is black and red battle armor. His presence bloomed before her radiating a sense of cold detachment and grim resolve.

She…she had not even sensed him.

She was impressed.

She smiled innocently.

She would have to learn that trick one day.

"My lord councilor," she said managing to hold her smile, all the while trying to hide her surprise, to force her heartbeat to slow down.

_What is going on here_, she thought.

_Why is he here?!_

"We must speak, Lord Avaryss," he said, "The council has a favor to ask."

His words surprised her

A favor, he said, not an order.

Interesting.

"Can I offer you some refreshment, my lord?" she asked trying to be cordial, "It is the least I can do on such short notice."

"Refreshment is unnecessary," he answered, "What I have to say will be brief."

"As you wish," she said.

So much for trying to play the good host.

Marr turned away from her, looking out the window of her suite, out over the desolate landscape that was Korriban. His silence was unnerving, and pregnant with possible malice.

"You said you have a favor to ask?" she said, "How may I be of service?"

Marr sighed.

"The council knows about your plan to remove your master, today," he said, "We would like you to call it off."

Avaryss fought the urge to gasp.

They knew?!

How?!

She had been so careful!

"I'm not sure what you mean, my lord. I've made no such…"

Marr turned to her, that cold regard killed any further attempt to deny or lie.

She winced under that icy stare, she could not see his eyes, but she did not need to

That gaze penetrated your soul.

"Why," she asked, "This plan has been a long time coming. Why must I abandon it now?"

"Because it is in your best interest to do so," he answered, "The council still has need of Darth Feer. We would ask you to respect our wishes and not seek his end."

Avaryss' eyes narrowed, despite her respect and fear for Lord Marr, she could not help but feel cheated.

This…why…he could not simply…!

GAHHHHHHH!

She tried to hold her tongue to simply bow respectfully and give the councilor what he wanted, but she couldn't do it, she just couldn't.

She had waited for so long.

If she won her master would be dead, if her agents failed that she would likely not survive that failure.

Was that not the way of the Sith?

Was that not everything that an apprentice worked and fought for?

What you ask of me is no simple thing, Lord Marr. I like to think that I'm a loyal daughter of the Empire, but this…this…"

Her hands curled into angry fists, she could hear the servos whining in her mechanical arm.

"If Feer was to die, I would claim his holdings for my own. Does council question my loyalty? Do you not believe I'm capable for serving you as well as Feer?"

She expected Marr to lash out at her, to slap her down for daring to question.

He did not do that.

"It is not your loyalty that is being questioned, it is your experience. You are a skilled fighter young Avaryss, but you are only just starting to learn the game of rule. Darth Feer had only just taken possession of Terrog's holdings, holdings that are in chaos as we speak.

"Tell me child, do you know who to talk to keep supply lines open between Terrog's worlds and the rest of the Empire? Do you know who you should put in positions of power to make sure that these worlds remain loyal to the Empire? Do you know who you can trust to remain loyal, and who needs to be eliminated on each world?

Avaryss frowned.

They were good questions, all of them, and she knew the answer to all was the same.

"No, my lord," she admitted, "I do not know."

Marr nodded.

"I am pleased that you are able to admit that. I'm equally pleased that you are willing to do as the council asks."

She shook her head, she was angry at herself and at him, but he was not wrong.

She was willing to look beyond her personal desires.

She was willing to do what was best for the Empire.

"I will do as the council wishes," she promised, "But at the same time, I must ask, why make this a request and not a simple order? Why offer me a favor in exchange for my compliance when you do not have to."

"Because I'm not simply looking for another sycophant to obey blindly," Marr informed her, "I'm looking for a Sith with the interests of the Empire at heart."

Marr walked up to her, he put his hands on her shoulder.

"I told you that if you survived Terrog's station, that we would speak privately. You have proven both your skill and your intelligence over the last few months. The Empire will need that. This business with Terrog has revealed a weakness in our Empire, a weakness that must be dealt with if we are to achieve all our goals."

Avaryss considered what he had said, a weakness?

What weakness could they have? They were...

Avaryss frowned.

She thought she knew what he meant. Both the conspiracy and Terrog could have been dealt with quite quickly if one Sith had gotten involved, if he had graced them with his presence all could have been dealt with far more quickly.

"The Emperor," she said, "You think he has become a problem?"

"Not a problem," Marr said taking his hands away, "But his absence and silence has created problems, and could possibly cause a great many more in the days to come."

Marr sighed.

"The Emperor's silence during the Terrog affair has caused many ambitious Sith to start getting ideas. Plots are beginning to form and swirl. Several council members have already started to question the Emperor's reason to stay out of our recent problems."

Avaryss nodded.

"If those plans started to play out too quickly, we could find ourselves right back where we were when Sy Dar Bynn's conspiracy was threatening us. The Empire could be torn apart by infighting."

"It could happen, Marr agreed, "which is why I'm building a…cabal of sorts. A group of like-minded Sith, men and women that believe that preserving the Sith way of life is just as important as satisfying our own appetites. It will fall to us to keep the Empire together, to stop these plots before they can grow out of control."

Avaryss nodded, a shiver of excitement ran down her spine.

"Are you offering me a place among this…cabal, Lord Marr?"

"I'm offering you a chance to learn from your betters, child. I'm offering you the chance to learn the art of rule from the most skilled of us. I'm offering you the chance to grow beyond your master's teachings and surpass him, so, that on the day that he is finally removed, you may take his place without concern."

Avaryss smiled slyly.

"It was an enticing offer, make no mistake.

"Feer has his own designs," she informed the Lord Councilor.

"Of course, he does, he would not be a Darth if he did not."

"He seeks to rise above the council. He seeks to surpass even the greatest of us."

"I'm sure he is does," Marr said, "Have no worry on that point child; we shall keep Councilor Feer quite busy. He will be forced to put his plans on hold for the time being."

"And that distraction shall give us the time we need to prepare what we need to neutralize him. When the time comes, of course."

Marr chuckled.

"We?" he asked.

She nodded.

"I'm accepting your terms, my lord. Feer may keep his life, for now. I shall do as you ask, in exchange for a seat at the table. When Darth Feer falls, I will expect his seat."

"Do as we ask child, grow into the Sith we need you to be, and when that day comes, you will find us unable to deny you anything. You will be supreme."

The young Sith smirked.

Avaryss the Supreme.

She liked the sound of that.

"Consider it done, my lord," she said bowing.

She went to the hyper-comm.

"If you will excuse me, my lord…

"…I have an assassination to call off."

Marr nodded and left without another word.

And so it is done, Avaryss thought.

My master will not be killed this night.

She sighed.

Damn.

The things we do for Empire.

She hoped that it would be worth it.

**A/N: Well folks one more chapter left in Fear and Avarice, I hope you have enjoyed the ride. Avaryss' journey will not end here, however. I'm currently finishing up the outline for the next Avaryss story. Also I'm wondering if there are any secondary characters you would like to see get their own one shots. I have an idea for a Shyra Viel story. If you have any thoughts please leave them in the reviews, you know I like them, until next time, dear readers.**

**DG**


	75. The Darth and The Dead Girl

**Chapter 75: The Darth and the Dead Girl**

She stood before the mirror, it was long, six feet tall, and showed off her full figure, and yet, she no longer recognized the person staring back at her.

It was familiar, true, but it was still the face of a stranger.

She did not understand.

It was not just the beautiful gown or the style of her hair, it was not the perfume or the make-up that made her seem…older than she was.

No, this was something different.

This was something…in the Force.

Her master had commanded that they complement each other tonight, His dress robes were colored a deep read with black highlights, and the shoulder plates marking him as a full Darth were as white as bone and polished to a mirror shine.

Crimson had always been the color of the truly loyal in the Empire. The Emperor's guard wore crimson armor, and most of the Darth's on the council had robes with a crimson hem, or cloaks of blood red fabric.

Tonight, Darth Feer finally stood as one of them; he intended to dress the part. He intended to appear to be a perfect and loyal servant of the Empire.

Avaryss, of course, knew the truth.

Her master was many things…perfectly loyal had never been one of them.

As for herself she found herself in a gown of the finest crimson shimmer silk. It was sleeveless and cut low in back to show off her tattoo, with a white half cape to hide much of the saber burn across her shoulders.

A scar was often seen as a sign of weakness in the Empire.

Darth Feer intended for her to show no weakness tonight. She was his first servant, the closest thing he had to a daughter.

He wanted her to be perfect. He wanted their enemies to see that perfection and be moved to envy by it.

Avaryss held up her hands. She wore gloves that matched the gown; the red silken gloves were long and covered her arms up to her elbow. They were meant to hide her new arm, once again, to show no weakness.

Avaryss did not see the loss as a weakness; she had bled and sacrificed for her people.

An arm lost in battle was the least that she could offer.

Her hair was done up in the finest and most popular style held by two long and delicate silver needles. Her eyes and cheeks were painted, her lips colored a lovely royal purple.

No Sith wound dare think her anything but desirable. She was, at that moment, the poster child for what was considered beautiful within the Empire.

Yet, she could not shake the feeling that something was amiss.

She could not deny that something was wrong with her.

She stared into the mirror, trying to get an idea of what that might be. She reached out with the Force, trying to sense if anything had changed within her.

She felt no difference, not in the way she feared.

That discovery should have put her at ease, but it did not.

She looked into the mirror her eyes cold and demanding.

"Who are you," she asked, "What do you want from me?"

It had been a rhetorical question; of course, she had not expected an answer; so it came as a great surprise when her reflection shifted position, her posture changed.

The image in the mirror smiled, thought Avaryss wore no smile herself.

"How about you let me have my body back, Avy," her reflection said coldly, "that would be most helpful."

Avaryss started, those words…they had not been spoken with a Dromund Kaas accent. The speaker had spoken in the familiar drawl of an Oridanna citizen.

Avaryss glared at the girl in the mirror.

"Go away Keera," she said, "You are neither wanted, nor needed here."

"If only I could," Keera Lylos sighed, shaking her head.

She looked down at the gown she was wearing and made a face.

"You think this is what mother looked like when she was my age?" she asked the Sith, "Not that mother could have ever afforded such a grand gown. If she did though, I'm sure father would have taken notice."

She gave Avaryss a sly smile.

"It is not the easiest thing to think about is it? Parents being young and falling in love, no kid wants to think about that, to acknowledge that it happened, but they had to have fallen in love at some point. If they had not, we would not be here. Would we?"

"This isn't real," Avaryss growled.

"Oh it is, trust me."

"You were weak, and I destroyed you. I became Avaryss to be free of you, to be **rid **of you, to think otherwise is madness, and I'm _**not**_ mad."

"Of course you are mad," Keera responded, "Don't you remember the forgotten tomb on Korriban, what we faced there. You embraced your madness once, and it made you strong enough to survive that most dangerous trial. I went away after that, I was no longer strong enough to stay."

Keera grinned triumphantly.

"But you changed all that Avy. You _decided_ to be Keera for Beric. You **chose** to be Keera for Fenn, not that I blame you. He really is…enchanting isn't he?"

Her smile turned sly.

"I'd say anything to sweet talk such a man into my bed too; I don't blame you for that."

"Go back to your grave," Avaryss hissed.

"No."

"You will find no power here. You will fade away again."

"You've already given me all the power I needed to come back," Keera reminded her, "and now that I'm here I will not simply be silent, not anymore."

Keera glared at the young Sith, her anger flashing in her eyes.

"You should have let my assassins kill Darth Feer. I've waiting too long to see him fall."

Avaryss' eyes widened, she realized something.

"_**Your**_ assassins? It was you that forced me to go to the Rist. It is you that wanted me to throw my life away on such a feeble attempt?!"

"I've been waiting almost two years for you to finally end this, to finally pull the trigger and kill the evil old fool, and yet he still draws breath."

Keera shook her head.

"What do you think you are doing Avy?"

Avaryss' hands curled into fist, her rage rising.

This…this…what was happening did not make sense.

Keera was never a separate entity; she had simply been a name that Avaryss had discarded.

She could not do this.

She could not simply come back!

"I'm not listening to this madness," she declared, "Not anymore! I chose to leave you behind long ago. I now know who my allies and enemies are. I will continue to do what is best for me."

She sneered at her reflection.

"You have no power over me Keera, not anymore!"

"Is that what you think?" Her reflection asked, "If that is so, then you have nothing to worry about, but what about Fenn?"

Avaryss eyes' narrowed.

"What about Fenn?

Keera smiled again.

"It is me that Fenn wants. It is my body that he wants to touch, my lips that he wants to kiss. He says nothing about wanting Avaryss does he? He does not even think you really exist."

"A lie," Avaryss spat.

"And yet, he never uses your real name, does he, Avy? He doesn't even call you by the pet name that Taya uses. Neither does Beric for that matter."

Keera laughed cruelly.

"Avaryss was never real, you were never real. You think that I'm the mask, but it is you that are the illusion, you are the mask that I hid behind."

Keera stepped towards the mirror, her reflection grew larger, her features crueler.

"I won't be hiding anymore, Avy. You will never be rid of me. I'm back to take back everything you believe to be yours. You have messed up my life for the last time.

"I'll be taking back the controls, Avy. It is your time to step back and fade away."

Avaryss laughed at that.

"Foolish girl, do you honestly think you can surpass me. Me? Avaryss was born to lead, born to ascend to the height of the Empire. Keera could never have done that.

"She doesn't have the skills."

"Maybe," Keera said with a slight nod, "But I will have Fenn, and that is more annoying to you than anything else, isn't it?"

Avaryss' smile faltered.

"He will never be yours, she spat.

"His heart says otherwise, it is Keera's name that he moans when he kisses you, not Avy."

"HE IS MINE," Avaryss growled, "He will be my consort. He will lay with me, and I will have his babies!"

"Yeesh," Keera said looking disgusted, "Never thought that any part of me would want that. Kids are great and all, but they are better when they go home with their parents at the end of the day."

Avaryss red eyes flashed.

"And that…is why you will never succeed. I'm dedicated to our future, while you are just a part of my past. I will claim everything that I desire, and you will fade away, a bad dream born of weakness and indecision."

Her reflection scowled at her.

"I'll never stop fighting you for control, Avy," Keera promised, "Every decision you make will be suspect. I will give you no amount of rest. I will be in your head constantly. I will be the annoying voice in the back of your head. I will be relentless and intimidating, and far crueler than you could ever hope to be."

Keera sneered.

"It was my pain and loss that first drove us to the dark side, that pain, that loss is my power, mine. I will use it to reclaim what is mine. Your minions, your title, even Fenn, it will all belong to me."

A feral snarl escaped Avaryss' lips, she almost pulled her lightsaber and drove it through the mirror, drove it through Keera's smirking face!

"I will stop you," Avaryss hissed.

"I will destroy you."

"You can try," Keera said, stepping back, a pleased smile on her face, "But you will soon realize that I'm not so easily slain. Your lightning, your spells, and your weapons are _**nothing**_ to me. You can't stop me Avy, I'm you."

She laughed.

"And you are just a girl talking to herself in the mirror."

Avaryss roared.

She put her metallic fist through the mirror glass, the Force enhanced punch, shattered the mirror into a hundred small pieces.

It was likely only her imagination but Avaryss could almost hear Keera Lylos laughing in the many falling shards, taunting her enemy…the shadow of who she truly was.

Avaryss looked down at her hand, she could see glass shards stuck between her fingers, and the fabric of her shimmer silk gloves was tore, revealing the white metal plates.

Fortunately she had used her left hand and not her right.

She looked down at her hand with an angry hiss. She could not feel the glass shards, of course, but at that moment, a sensation, a burning phantom pain ran up her arm, angering her even further.

The door chimed, and she heard a servant over the comm, asking if she was okay, if she needed assistance.

Avaryss sighed and shook her head. Slowly, carefully, she pulled the glass shards out of her artificial knuckles.

"It is nothing," she told her servant, "I tripped and knocked over the mirror. I will need someone to come and clean it up."

The servant acknowledged her request; in the meantime Avaryss peeled over her ruined red glove, the fabric had been shredded when she punched the mirror.

Fortunately, Darth Feer's people had sent her a white set of gloves as well. They would match her cape, and none would be the wiser when they saw them.

She checked the chrono on the wall; she still had an hour before the ceremony. Before Darth Feer came to collect her.

She closed her eyes and reached out with the Force. She tried to sense Fenn, to contact him through the Force. He had not spoken with her once since her escape, and despite several attempts on her part, had never reached out when she tried to speak with him.

What has happened, she wondered.

Was something wrong?

She feared that Fenn might have been punished for letting her go.

Perhaps he was no longer a Jedi; perhaps they had locked him up, fearing that he was a threat or a traitor.

_But…they couldn't do that,_ she felt panic at the very thought, _Fenn was __**no**__ traitor._

He did not deserve to be punished for letting her go; she had given him little choice. He had had innocent lives to worry about.

Surely those lives had been more important than stopping her.

"You waste your time worrying," Keera's voice said in a mockingly sweet tone.

"Fenn cares nothing about you. It is me that he wants."

"It is you that is nothing Avy. You will always be nothing.

Avaryss growled; it was a cruel sound, one that even Shyra Viel would have been intimidated by.

_We will see, shutta_, she thought.

_We will just see!_

She stormed out of the room. She went to go find her master.

She had no desire to be alone, not if it meant hearing Keera's taunts and threats.

_There is nothing to fear,_ the darkness whispered, _what you are experiencing, it is nothing._

_You are Avaryss of the Sith, nothing can change that._

_Give me time_; Keera seemed to whisper in her ear.

_We will see about that._

IOI

Avaryss said nothing to her master about what she had experienced in her quarters. To be honest, she still did not believe it herself.

Clad in his own crimson robes, with his Darth's shoulder plates, Darth Feer was, at that moment, a symbol of wealth and power, and all that a Darth should be.

Yet, he was not all knowing, that was for sure.

He could not sense her troubled mind.

Perhaps that was as much is fault as it was hers.

He could not see.

That…may yet prove to be his downfall.

I should tell him, but…but…

She frowned.

It would not have mattered if she had told him.

Lord Feer was flying high.

The Jedi and Republic could have attacked and it would not have been enough to spoil her master's good mood.

All he saw was what they had won, the successes they had had.

He would not be distracted by anything or anyone.

_You should have let the plan go ahead,_ Keera whispered, _look at him; he is ripe for the picking._

Avaryss ignored her, or rather the voice that had just decided to rise up and torment her.

She only hoped that her master would not be able to hear it. She hoped that he would not feel Keera's rage and strike out at her...or was it them, she could not really tell anymore.

Wait, she thought, what am I thinking?!

Keera is not a separate person.

She could do nothing.

She was nothing.

Feer chuckled as he regarded himself in the mirror. He was too lost in his victory to worry about anything, especially not his apprentice.

When he finally turned to her, it was with an appraising look. He smiled at her.

Apparently he liked what he saw.

"You are stunning my dear," he told her, "Absolutely ravishing..."

"Thank you, master," she said bowing slightly.

He came up to her then, whispering in her ear.

"Many a young Sith will lose their heart to you tonight," he purred, "You shall be both an object of desire and of envy for the entire Empire."

"You flatter me, my lord," she said.

_It would be better if you…YOU… __**flattened **__him_, Keera's voice screamed through the Force.

_Kill him Avy._

_KILL HIM NOW!_

It was all Avaryss could do to keep her face bland.

Had her master heard that?

Had he sensed it…through the Force?

It did not seem that he had.

He remained blind to the conflict inside of her.

Lucky her.

He grinned triumphantly.

"All is as it should be, my apprentice, this…is **our** time."

"It is everything we have worked so long and hard for, my master," she said bowing her head.

"You should be more than proud."

Darth Feer nodded, he radiated triumph, but also something else…regret. Pain?

Her master shook his head.

"It was always my destiny to be here, my child," he said, "But it…it should have been another standing at my side today. It should have been **her **that shared in this moment of absolute victory."

"Who might that be, my master," she inquired in her most innocent voice, though she could already guess who it was that her master meant.

It wasn't that hard, not considering what she knew about him.

Her master sighed.

"I have a daughter, did you know that?"

Avaryss nodded. Her response surprised him, she realized she should have denied it, but since the damage was done, she spoke quickly.

"I saw a holo in Lady Synestra's room. It was of you, her, Young Master Bael, and a young girl that I did not recognize."

"Of course," her master said nodding, "I should have guessed."

He gave her a sad smile.

"Even things that pain us have their uses. Loss can fuel your power just as easily as hate, and sometimes, it is even more fiery."

He chuckled.

"I did not think that I desired children, not after what I experienced with my own father. I was…uncertain when Synestra told me she was going to have our first, but…but when I held my little girl in my arms for the first time…I…I knew that I was lost."

Her master sighed heavily; he radiated pain like a star did heat and light.

"I was going to train her; that is why I let Synestra train Bael. I was going to make her the most powerful Sith in the Empire, the two of us were going to redraw the map, remake Dromund Kaas in our image. We were…"

He fell silent. He shuddered and coughed.

He turned back to Avaryss.

"She ended up _disappointing_ me. She was not strong enough to follow the path I desired. The Force, it seems, was intent on making a mockery of my dreams. My little girl, my princess…she failed me."

Avaryss said nothing, she pretended ignorance, but had come to know this story well.

She intended to make use of it, when the day finally came.

Feer's daughter had done nothing to earn her father's ire or treatment. She had been born weak in the Force, but that was no reason to cast her aside and not even acknowledge her birth.

_Tell him, you know,_ Keera's voice whispered, _let the old monster know what a failure he is, as both a master and a father._

Again Avaryss held her tongue.

_Now was not yet the time, be patient_, she thought to herself.

_Be patient._

When the time was right, Avaryss intended to meet with Feer's daughter. The girl would no doubt be a wellspring of information about her parents, who knew, she might even wish to join in the plan against them.

_Wouldn't that be delicious_, Avaryss thought_, Feer's own little princess aiding in his destruction._

It would be…**glorious!**

"It has not been easy for you, my master," she said, "But today, the Force has honored you. It has honored both of us."

She grinned triumphantly.

"The Force brought us together, and now…the future you wanted has come to pass. You should be happy today…father."

Feer smiled, he nodded, with tears in his eyes.

"Once again, daughter, you speak with wisdom. A child of my flesh was incapable of reaching this plateau, but one born of my plans, you, you were more than up to the task."

He beamed with pride.

"The Force took with one hand, but gave me you with another. The failure and disappointment of the past is no erased.

He walked up to her and put his hands on her shoulders, she worried at first that he might hit her, or twist her arm. Perhaps he knew she was simply playing along. He might be able to feel it.

It took all her self-control not to pull away, not to reach for the lightsaber hanging on the sash around her waist.

Feer did not hit her; he did not try to strike her. Instead he leaned in close and kissed her forehead, the sign of affection, both surprised and **revolted** her.

A few times, in her life, Andur Lylos had done that to her, kissed her forehead, let his daughter know she was loved and respected.

Having Feer do it, having him steal such an intimate moment between father and daughter.

It was almost too much to bear.

"Daughter," he said warmly, "You have made me a happy man this day."

It was all she could do to repress her shudder.

Feer had never touched her like this, NEVER.

It was one thing to let Feer call her daughter, for her to call him father, but for him to show her such affection!

It was **wrong!**

It was **insulting!**

_**LIAR!**_

_**MURDERER!**_

It took all of her self-control not to reach out and start strangling him.

_For Andur Lylos_, Keera's voice echoed in the back of her mind.

_For my TRUE father._

She imagined her fingers wrapping around her master's neck. She imagined his eyes bulging, his hands trying to stop her as she choked the life from him.

She could almost feel his throat in her hands, the sensation of squeezing the life out of him.

The desire to do it…it was almost impossible to resist.

Almost.

Avaryss raised her arms, she…she had no choice.

She…she needed to keep up appearances.

_My time will come._

_Be patient._

She smiled as she gently touched his arm, giving them a warm and gentle squeeze. She even managed to use the Force to shed a single tear.

"Father," she murmured.

"Today…is about us. It is our success!"

"Yes, my child, yes." He agreed. "It is ours."

He removed his hands, and offered her his arm.

"Come daughter," he said, "The time has come…let us claim our reward."

She smiled and took it.

"Yes, my lord," she purred.

"It is time…"

"…Now we shall have everything we deserve."

"Of course, my child, of course, why should we not?"

Feer laughed.

"As you said, we deserve this."

IOI

Master and apprentice approached the doors to the council chamber. They walked beneath the great crimson banners of the Empire, and the tall hooded stone statures that paid tribute to their great Emperor, those cold stone eyes seeming to watch their every move; even now they filled Avaryss with a sense of foreboding. Lords, soldiers, and slaves watched as they passed.

Both Feer and Avaryss sneered as they passed. Most of the lords here had stayed behind when the Battle of Inferno Nebula had occurred. Some had done this because they were ordered to, but many had chosen to stay behind. They had held back, waiting to see which side would come out on top.

And now you know, Avaryss thought, "Look upon us, you spineless drones, look upon your betters and despair!

Keera had finally fallen silent, a fact that Avaryss was most grateful for. Her former self was not welcome here, not when they were about to stand before the most powerful lords in the Empire.

The massive doors opened, a pure blooded herald introduced them, informing the dark council of their arrival.

Avaryss shuddered with anticipation.

She had never gotten to come here while the council was in session.

She was most eager to look on the most powerful Sith in the Empire.

The viewing gallery before the twelve thrones was packed. It looked like every major lord had come to witness this moment. She spotted Darth Baras among them, the masked dark lord nodded to her as she passed.

She returned the nod, out of respect for his aid if for nothing else.

Taya and her parents stood beside Lord Goss and the other minor lords. She spotted several that her master considered allies, Darth Infami among them.

How did they feel about this she wondered? Taya was likely happy, what she was seeing here was confirmation of the vision she had had about her friend long ago.

Avaryss was most definitely on her way up.

No one could deny that now.

Her own crew stood beside Lady Synestra and the rest of House Feer, those that had survived Terrog's attack. Avaryss kept a close eye on Xen, she was concerned how her apprentice might react to being in the same room with some of the Sith who were responsible for the sacking of the Jedi Temple. Though she did not see Lord Malgus here, she did spot Darth Angral and his apprentices.

Xen shot them an icy glare occasionally, but Beric was at her side, to make sure that her young apprentice did not do anything foolish.

Patience was not usually a virtue the Sith cultivated, but at this moment, it was necessary to remain calm.

There would be plenty of time to deal with old slights later.

Now it was time for unity.

The Sith Empire's power was on full display!

As for the Dark Council itself; all appeared to be in attendance, either in the flesh or via hologram. Eleven thrones were filled. Marr sat in his place, and looked down upon the proceedings. Lords Vengean, Vowrawn, Mortis, Ravage and the rest all sat around him, quietly watching from their place upon their thrones. On the throne farthest from the others sat Darth Jadis, hooded and cloaked like Marr but radiating far more pain and hostility.

Avaryss looked away quickly from that one, even looking upon him made her feel…queasy. She was not sure what he was doing in the Force, but it was clear that he did not use it to set people at ease, even those that could be considered his allies.

Regardless, she thought it a good idea to give the man a wide berth.

Feer led the way, and brought them to a stop before Darth Marr, the masked Dark Lord nodded, in welcome as both Feer and Avaryss knelt before him.

Marr rose from his throne.

"The Empire asks much of us," He began; The Emperor asks much of us..."

Avaryss dared a quick look at the Emperor's throne, the one where he would sit and issue his edicts to the council.

It was once again empty, not even a royal guard in attendance.

She could not help but feel…slighted.

We only just saved your Empire!

The least you could do was show your face.

"Darth Feer," Marr called out, "arise and step forward."

Her master did as he was told, his smile both wide and hungry.

"As the council calls," he said, "So do I answer."

Marr nodded, recognizing his future council brother.

"You have stood in defense of the Empire. Your enemies have been destroyed, you stand alone."

The Dark Lord stood straighter; he used the Force to extend his voice for all to hear.

"Are you ready to do your duty for the Empire?"

"I am ready," Feer promised.

"Are you prepared to be a voice for our people, to share in absolute victory as the galaxy becomes one with the Empire?"

"I am prepared," Feer said.

Marr raised his hand, he gestured to the throne across from him, the one not filled with either a body or a hologram.

"The council stands incomplete," Marr said, "One of us has fallen, taken at the battle of the Inferno Nebula. His voice has fallen silent…"

Avaryss tried not to smile.

She hated to admit it, but she did not know all the councilors by name, but she did know that at least one had supported Darth Terrog; he had been aboard one of the dreadnaughts that had been defending Terrog's station.

He had died with the rest of Terrog's traitors. None who stood with the cyborg survived, with his death, the council had an opening.

Lord Feer had been tapped to fill it.

"When one voice falls silent," Feer recited, "Another must rise; he must speak for the Empire. I address the Dark Council, and promise that my voice will always be joined with theirs, from this day forward."

Feer bowed his head respectfully.

"I am ready," he promised, "I am ready for my voice to be heard."

"Then be heard, brother," Marr said, once again gesturing to the throne, "Darth Feer, Dark Lord of the Sith, welcome to the Dark Council."

There was no applause when her master left her side and took his seat. He was no longer a simple Darth of the Empire, but as a Lord Councilor as well. His ascension came to past with both silence and reverence. Ceremonies like this were always solemn affairs. The Sith would not celebrate until later.

For now, they were respectful and honored her master and his ascension, either that or were watching enviously, planning his downfall.

Avaryss could relate to the latter, she was planning herself.

She would not deny anyone else that luxury.

She remained where she was, waiting for her turn. Her master had the reward he always wanted, and now, she was set to become a full lord, that is what her master believed was about to happen. He had formally endorsed her rise to Dark Lord of the Sith.

All that was left now was confirmation from the council.

Marr remained standing; she could feel his gaze upon her. She wondered what he was thinking in that moment. Was he curious about what his newest ally would do first with her new authority?

She tried not to smile.

She would do what was best for the Empire, as she always did.

Marr would find her a most agreeable ally.

"Avaryss of House Feer," Marr began, "Arise."

She did as she was bid.

"As the Council calls," she said, "So do I answer."

She stood patiently before her ally; she could feel the eyes of the rest of the council on her. Did they agree with her success, or did they still blame her for the fate of Fehl?

Only time could erase that stain, if it ever could, but Avaryss was prepared to try.

She would make them forget that Fehl had ever existed. She would become far more powerful and valuable that he could ever have been.

This she swore.

"Are you ready to take your place among the lords of the Empire?" Marr asked.

"I am ready," she proclaimed.

The Dark Lord motioned to his right; a servant emerged carrying a large box. He opened up and revealed the crystal that Avaryss had retrieved from the Republic, the one containing Darth Terrog's tortured soul.

The servant brought it to Lord Marr who raised it above his head.

"A gift from this young sorceress to us, the Council of the Empire, it contains the soul of the traitor Terrog. It is ours to toy with for the rest of time."

Marr did something she did not expect then.

He chuckled.

"Behold the Will of the Living Force! Long may he reign."

His comment brought laughter to the chamber. Seeing the threat of Terrog reduced to such a small thing was pleasing to everyone here.

Avaryss was pleased that they liked her gift.

Sith Lords could be so hard to buy for.

Marr stepped down from his throne, he stood before her. Avaryss was not sure what was going on. The dark lord had not even done that to honor her master.

From his throne, Councilor Feer watched what was happening curiously; clearly he did not understand what was going on.

Avaryss was not quite sure herself to be honest.

"This one has served us well," Marr continued, "She served as her master's fist, she has smashed the enemies of our Empire, and bathed in both blood and glory."

"Tell me young Avaryss," he asked, "Are you ready to take your place in the Empire?"

"I am ready," she promised.

Marr gestured again; the two new servants emerged, each carrying a single very familiar shoulder plate.

Through the Force, Avaryss could feel her master's shock! She glanced over at Lady Synestra and saw the Lady of their house visibly turning pale.

What was this, she thought.

What was Marr doing?

"Kneel, Young Avaryss," he commanded.

She did as she was bid; the two servants came up beside her.

"A Lord defends what is his, and the Empire. You have faced many a trial young one, and proved both your skill and loyalty. You have defeated foreign conspirators and traitors from within our own ranks.

Marr drew his lightsaber; he lit the blade and let it hover above her right shoulder.

It was almost as if he was knighting her, giving her a blessing.

"When Terrog fell, we lost an alchemist, but we have gained a first among Sorceresses. It is fitting is it not that we honor you now, your skill, your power, and most of all, your unflinching loyalty."

"I live to serve," Avaryss said, "Long live the Empire."

Marr nodded.

The servants moved in, they placed the plates over her caped shoulders. Immediately she knew what was going on.

She suppressed a smile.

Marr you son of a Hutt!

Feer would not be pleased with this; in fact…he would be furious!

A lord of his house her master could manage, Marr decided to make things…not so easy for him.

Well, Marr had said that he had wanted Darth Feer distracted.

This…this little act would most definitely distract him.

Marr stepped back, he nodded thoughtfully, pleased by his work.

"You knelt a mere apprentice," he said, "Now rise a servant of the Empire."

Again Marr used the Force to make sure that all could hear him.

"ARISE," he shouted, "ARISE DARTH AVARYSS!"

Darth Avaryss, Dark Lord of the Sith did as she was bid.

She arose…now… a Darth of the Sith Empire!

She looked over at her master. He kept his face bland, but she could feel his anger, his sense of betrayal.

Only a Darth could make a Darth, by naming her as such, Marr had changed the game between Feer and Avaryss.

Now, she was only one lightsaber swing away from not just his house, but his seat on the council.

She could claim everything that was his upon his death.

Feer knew that.

Marr had taken his apprentice and turned her into a very real threat, a rival for his very throne.

Through the Force, her master did not look pleased.

She bowed her head in submission.

"Thank you, my lord," she murmured, "You will not regret this decision."

He chuckled.

"See that your master does, Lord Avaryss," he murmured so that only she could hear him.

"Keep him busy."

She grinned hungrily.

She could do just that.

Her ascension meant the end of the ceremony, already the lords and their guests were beginning to divide. Marr and Vengean approached Darth Feer, as the newest member of the council; it would fall to them to bring him up on any council business, old or new

Feer said nothing to her; she sensed that he felt betrayed, that she might have planned this somehow.

If only I had, she thought.

This coup that Marr had brought about, it was a masterstroke.

Yes, she was still Lord Feer's apprentice, but at the same time she was a full Darth, which entitled her to form her own House as well.

House Avaryss had been born this night. She would need to gather people to her, loyal people, begin finding officers to serve her new clan.

She would need a Warmaster of course. Beric might do, but she suspected that he might have another position in mind. She would give it some thought.

As she watched Darth Feer leave with the rest of the council, she knew one thing was certain above all others.

The alliance of Feer and Avaryss was over. Her master could not afford to see her as a daughter, not anymore. She was a rival and a dangerous one.

He would need to watch his back.

As it should be, she thought. The lesson she had learned during her Trial of Blood on Fury 9 still rang true.

Beware your Master, Beware your apprentice.

Tonight, Feer had been reminded of that lesson.

I am still his, at least for now, but I can now see the end of the tunnel.

The future she had sought for so long had come. She had achieved her dream

She was now Darth Avaryss, let her enemies hear that name and beware.

She looked at the Emperor's vacant throne, thought of the visions she had had, the old woman she would be, the throne that was destined to be hers.

She had just taken a major step towards that goal.

She would need to intensify her training; she would need to recover the skills that she had lost when her arm had been cut away.

It can be done, she thought, I will have plenty of time to practice.

The victory over Terrog had not been enough; it had only served to whet the Empire's appetite for the next war with the Republic.

It is inevitable she knew; war _**would **_come again, and with it, the fall of the Republic, and the destruction of the Jedi.

How could it not?

We are Sith.

The galaxy will be ours.

Darth Avaryss grinned as she went to rejoin her crew, her apprentices.

Now the true work would begin her rise to power.

Beric and Taya approached her both were grinning ear to ear.

I hope they are ready for what is coming.

She thought of Fenn, and what this meant for them. When the time came he would oppose her.

She would need to be careful on that day.

Whatever happened, he was part of what was to come, she could almost see it.

She needed him.

The future was coming…

…and it all belonged to her.

_**THE END**_

_**A/N: This was the end of Fear and Avaryss, but not the end of Darth Avaryss' story. She will return in **__**Star Wars: The Old Republic: Dark Reflection.**__** It will be a darker story than this one, as our young Darth learned what it means to rule, look for new allies and new enemies to rise. Also Jas Dar Bynn's story will continue in **__**Rogue Jedi**__**, and look for the two one shots **__**Necris: Threnody**__**, and **__**Shyra Viel: A Savage Heart**__** coming soon as well. Until next time dear readers: May the Force serve you well!**_

_**DG **_


End file.
